The Wolf Down The Hall
by Noodlegum
Summary: Haru barely survived one of the most traumatic experiences of her life, which has now altered the way she sees the world. Legosi struggles with addiction and self-control, and his terrible choices are starting to weigh on his heart. Healing is a journey - and it's not an easy one. Young Adult AU / OOC / Legosi & Haru / Semi-Dark Legosi.
1. The Attack

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Beastars.

**Warning:** This story will be a punch of heavy topics but also topped with cutesy moments. Read at your own risk.

* * *

**Chapter One**

_The Attack_

* * *

"There!" Haru said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. Taking a step back, she admired her strawberry cake, appreciating the whipped detail she put on top. Her black little eyes drifted to the clock, taking in the time. Her ears dropped, stressed evident on her face.

"Shoot," Haru hissed, wiping her hands on her messy apron. "It's late. It's late." She had promised her boss she would leave before sun down, and it was now way past sundown. It was 10:17, to be exact, which meant she had less than an hour to catch the last train back home.

Frantically she cleaned the kitchen as quick as she could, doing her best to leave the place at least half decent before leaving. But she was doing a poor job, and she knew it. She cringed as she slid all the dirty utensils into the sink, leaving them there unwashed.

_Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'll just come in before Mike gets in and finish up,_ Haru thought to herself. Quickly she peeled off her apron and chucked it in the washing machine. She picked up the laundry soap and messily poured in too much, her ears twitching with anxiety. _It's fine. It'll be fine._

Haru was a rabbit. A small dwarf rabbit at that. She was also very clearly a herbivore and one of the golden rules for herbivores was 1) never walk in the dark, especially alone and 2) _never_ walk in the dark, _especially_ alone.

And she was breaking both those rules.

By the time she was putting her winter boots and her jacket on, it was 10:46. She had time, but she was going to have to rush. And if she missed it, she was going to have to get a cab -- which frankly, she couldn't afford.

"Stupid thing!" Haru hissed as she jabbed her finger at the button, trying to set the alarm.

Closing the door behind her, she looked around the street. There was no one around; just her and the icy air of a winter night. Her ears perked up instinctively to get better sound in, tuning in to her surroundings. Her leg muscles coiled tightly as she speed walked down the dark street. Her heart pounded in her ribcage, pumping hot blood into all her arteries. It was hot. She was burning up. Was she getting sick? Or was she panicking? God, she hated walking in the dark.

She panted, her breath forming little white clouds of mist in front of her. Her eyes drifted up, scanning the promotion signs that hung over the metro station entrance. There was a sign for the cafe she worked at. It was promoting their signature strawberry cake.

Her heart stopped.

"No!" She groaned, remembering she left the cake out on the counter. It would melt. Which meant the morning costumer wouldn't get their cake. Which meant every other order would get behind. Which meant trouble. Trouble she couldn't afford. She was already walking on thin ice with Mike. She had always been a bit clumsy and forgetful.

Haru stopped walking.

There was no choice. She had to go back.

With her ears hanging low, Haru turned around, staring down the familiar street she walked on almost every day. Her feet dragged under her, defeated.

She would have to dig into her savings to get a cab and she barely had enough to get groceries this month. And to get across town? It was more than just pocket change. She chewed the inside of her cheek with stress.

A small flake fell on her nose. She looked up, watching as millions of tiny snowflake started floating down.

_Perfect,_ she bitterly thought, wrapping her arms around herself. "Just what I nee--"

An incredible force had rammed into Haru, sending the both of them rolling across the ground. She brutally scraped herself against the pavement, hitting her knees and head as she rolled with the culprit.

Then they froze. Froze in time. She watched as the flakes fell on top of a garbage can, melting. She was focused on that. She was focusing on anything so she could ignore the hot breath that wafted across the skin of her neck.

She couldn't find her voice. It was gone. It was somewhere locked in her chest under all the pressure this large carnivore was putting on her small frame. The carnivores arms were humangus, longer than her whole body and made of sheer steel. There was no getting out of them.

She wiggled and the cage got tighter, her eyes uncomfortably pushing themselves out of their sockets. She dug her hands into his wrist but no matter how hard she squeezed, there was no tearing into the rough fur and muscle of this animal. It was stronger, bigger, and far scarier than she would ever be.

Haru opened her mouth but only a small squeak came out as the carnivore pressed their claws into one of her arms. She closed her eyes, the pain blinding her momentarily. A small cry left her lips, and she gave one final push to try to get away but it was useless. It was like pushing against metal bars.

Another cry left her lips, this time filled with agony as those claws dug into her soft fur, this time breaking through her skin.

"P-please!" She cried, finally finding her voice. She didn't recognize her own voice. There was too much fear. It was too pitched. Too desperate. It wasn't her. This wasn't what she sounded like.

For a moment, the carnivore froze, claws stopping their violent assault against her small arm. The carnivore heavy breathing came to a stop, like they were holding their breath.

"Please let m-me go!" Haru begged. "I won't t-tell anyone." Hot tears poured down her face and she kicked and kicked trying to free herself.

The carnivore squeezed, and Haru froze as a deep and powerful growl vibrated against her neck. She could hear this carnivores feral state in their growl, and it petrified her down to the core of her bones.

The carnivore continued it's growls but stopped squeezing Haru so tightly, loosening enough so she didn't feel like she was being crushed.

Slowly, both they're heart rates slowed and eventually the growls subsided, and they almost sounded pitiful against her ears. Almost like whimpers. Wasn't she the one in pain? Wounded? Attacked?

Suddenly, the carnivores arms opened, releasing her.

For split second, nothing happened. It was like her brain was trying to catch up with what was going on.

But then Haru ran. She didn't even look back. She ran faster than she had ever ran in her entire life.

She reached into the pocket of her jacket, wincing in pain as the wounds in her arm protested at the use of her muscles.

_Damn_, Haru mentally winced. _It hurts so much._ She pulled her lips in, trying to keep herself from whimpering.

Eventually she got the door open, the shaking in her hands slowing down just enough so she could put the key in the hole.

Once she was inside, she quickly turned the alarm off and went to the back office and closed the door behind her, sliding to the floor.

There was a pause as she blankly stared in front of her. She could hear nothing but her heartbeat in her ears.

And then she broke apart.

Hot tears built up in her eyes and then poured over her cheeks like a rapid river. She cried with every cell in her body as she held on to her bleeding arm. Blood soaked through her jacket, smearing onto her jeans and pooling under her into a small puddle.

Maybe it was minutes or maybe it was hours, but Haru didn't move until she found the strength in her legs to stand up. She used the wall to support herself, feeling weak and dizzy. She felt so heavy, like her muscles were made of lead. Maybe it was from the blood loss or the fact she had had a brush with death. Maybe it was both.

She dragged her shaking body to the phone, calling her boss and the police.

It wasn't long before the police arrived, an ambulance pulling up behind them. Quickly, a young lamb jumped out and vegans tending to her arm.

A large male deer walked up to her. His large form and proud antlers dazzling her. He was a red deer, his fur shiny and his eyes vibrant with justice. There was something powerful about this deer. Something even the carnivores lacked when they were the ones with the sharp teeth and claws. Or maybe it was her brain fantasizing about strong herbivores in a world ruled by carnivores.

"I'm Sergeant Louis, red deer, nice to meet you." He closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, a friendly herbivore trait. Fear instantly melted off her bones. She felt safe. She felt safe when this strong figure was around.

Her eyes scanned the surrounding area, and she watched as other red deers dressed in uniform scanned the area. Some were putting up warning tape. Others looked for clues. Others were knocking on doors, waking other animals up to ask questions.

Her eyes drifted back to the deer in front of her. "I'm Haru, white dwarf rabbit." One of her ears flapped. "Nice to meet you."

The lamb beside her finished wrapping her arm and gave her a soft pat on the back. "The claws weren't too deep, luckily. Change the bandages every couple of days and you should heal in no time."

Haru nodded. "Thank you."

The lamb gave her a warm smile and patted Haru's back gently. "You're a strong young lady and an incredibly lucky one at that; it's a 1 in 2000 that a herbivore will survive an attack once in the grasp of a carnivore. I'm glad you survived."

Haru nodded again but she couldn't bring herself to say thank you. She didn't feel lucky. Now she was going to have to live the rest of her life with this. With the pain. The scars. The nightmares she knew she would have. And the fear. The fear would be the worst part because she knew it would consume her. Her ears dropped and her eyes grew hot. How was this lucky?

"I need to ask you a few questions, Miss Haru, if you don't mind," Sergeant Louis said, his voice friendly but firm.

Haru's ears flapped again as she looked at him, taking in his strong features and height. A small blush heated her cheeks and she looked down at her dirty boots that were covered in blood. Her stomach churned.

"Go ahead," Haru mumbled, feeling distant as she gently ghosted her hand over the badanges. Her wound was aching. Hopefully the painkillers would kick in soon.

"I know this might be hard but can you recall anything about the carnivore that attacked you?" The deer bent down to get on her eye level, his eyes wise beyond his years.

Haru shook her head. "He attacked me from behind. I never saw his face or anything."

"Do you remember the color of his fur? Or the smell? Height? Anything?"

A shiver went through her body, her feet and hands going cold as she recalled the horrifying experience. She could almost feel the carnivores hot breath against her neck all over again. "He was big. Really big. Almost like a bear."

The deer nodded, his eyes shifting to the side as he looked down the street. "Did you drop anything else apart from your purse? Something else we could search for?"

Haru thought for a moment, realizing that yes, in fact, something else was missing.

"My scarf." She touched her neck, realizing it was exposed. "He--he must have pulled it off at some point." Her chest tightened with fear. Carnivores always went for the neck. It made sense her scarf had been peeled off to expose that vulnerable spot.

"That's all for now, Miss Haru. Thank you for helping us with this investigation. We'll reach out if we find more information." Sergeant Louis stood, looking down at her. He extended his hand, offering to help her stand.

Haru blushed and hesitantly took his hand, but once she made contact, she didn't want to let go. With a smooth pull, she was back on her feet. She relished the warmth and comfort of his hand one last second before she gently pulled her hand away, hugging it to her chest.

"Thank you." Haru lowered her head, bowing slightly.

"Do you have a way home, Miss Haru?"

"I'm just going to call a cab. My family is out of town, unfortunately." How she wished they weren't. She could cry into her dad's big chest and he would comfort her. Her mother could brush her fur gently as she nodded of to sleep. Or how her siblings would crack some jokes to lighten the mood. She needed her family.

Tonight could have been her end and she could have never see their smiles again.

"I can drop you off if you'd like."

Haru's ears perked up, and her spine straightened. Her tongue stuck to her teeth. "No--it's fine! I wouldn't want to impose."

"Not at all." The Sergeant spun on his heel, opening the door to his all-black ghost car. "I insist."

Haru awkwardly made her way into the car, giving her boss a small wave. He was talking to a cop and she could tell that by how low his eyebrows were, that he was beyond upset. He had every right to be. Finally, the thing he had always feared most would happen -- happened.

One of his employees had been attacked.

Her eyes dropped and heat built up behind her eyes but she fought the tears back. She would cry when she got home. She would cry it all away until she fell asleep and tomorrow came with a new start.

Maybe, maybe by then it would all feel like a bad dream.

The Sergeant got in the drivers side and gave her a warm smile before stearing ahead. He gripped onto the steering wheel tightly, his eyes sharpening. The atmosphere grew thick. "You're strong, Miss Haru. Try your best to not let this affect you, because if you do, then they win."

* * *

"Thank you for the ride," Haru said, lowering her head.

"Here," Sergeant Louis extended his hand, a small card in it. "Incase you need anything."

Haru gently grabbed the card from his hand. This seemed to be beyond what police animals were suppose to offer. The ride had already seemed like a stretch. Did they usually offer rides?

Haru shook her head, riding herself of the thoughts. "Thank you." She gave him another bow. "I appreciate your kindness." A small smiled crawled into her lips along with a blush.

The Sergeant smiled, his eyes kind. "Don't mention it." He gave her a last wave and drove off, and she watched the lights of the car turn the corner.

A small sigh left her lips as she walked up the stairs to her apartment. When she was in front of her door she groaned, realizing her keys had been in her purse. Defeated, she swayed forward, smacking her forehead on her apartment door.

_I'm sorry, Sebun, _Haru thought, chewing her cheek. _I'm going to have to be a bother. _

* * *

"I don't even know why you're apologizing!" Sebun said, rushing into the kitchen to get some hot water boiling. "You know you're always welcome here, right? No matter the time." She wrapped her coat around her waist.

It was cold in her apartment. Haru's apartment was also cold. All the apartments were cold. They were all poorly built.

Sebun rubbed her hands together as she blew hot air into them.

Haru nodded. "I know, I know." I just hate to bother you. You're always so busy with work. "I appreciate your kindness. . . I'm actually really happy to not be sleeping alone."

Sebun eyes softened as she sat beside Haru. "You don't have to tell me. I know enough by the look in your eyes and the bandages on your arm to know what happened." She pulled Haru into a warm hug.

Haru's eyes filled up with tears and she dug her face into the soft fur, welcoming the warmth and support of her friend. "I was so scared, Sebun. I thought I was going to die!" Her voice cracked. "I haven't done anything with my life and just life that -- it could have been taken away from me." Haru pulled back, staring at Sebun through watery eyes. "It's not fair."

"I know, I know." Sebun's eyes sadden. "It's a carnivore's world."

Haru nodded, rubbing her eyes and nose before spitting, "I hate them."

Sebun tapped her shoulder gently. "They're not all bad."

"But they are! They're violent. They're big and they use that to their advantage to bully us. They have sharp teeth and claws and they're so strong, to top it all off!" She was rambling and she knew it. She was just mad and she wanted to get it all out. She knew not all carnivores were bad and she knew they weren't all big and scary. But what had happened tonight put a hole in her heart and she knew that with every carnivore attack on the news, the hole would just get bigger and bigger.

Sebun poured the tea, the smell of chamomile filling the room. "Relax, Haru. Don't let this corrupt you. You can't live every day hating the world."

Haru sighed, lifting her tea to sip on it. "I don't want to." The tea felt soothing against her raw throat. Was it from the screaming? Did she scream? Or was it the crying? She couldn't remember much anymore. It was as if her brain was working it's hardest to lock away every terrible memory. To forget it all. To live as if nothing had happened.

_Just a bad dream. Just a bad dream. I'm not a victim. I'm not a victim. I'm not._ She kept repeating this in her head.

If she chanted it enough, it would set in her brain so eventually it would become the truth.

_I'm not a victim--_

"I wonder what animal is going to be moving in down the hall?" Sebun wondered outloud, her hand pushing some of her fur behind her ear.

She was changing the topic and Haru was grateful. She was ready to lock this all up and throw it in the ocean that was her mind. Hopefully it would get lost somewhere and never be found.

Sebun was right. The security guard had informed them of a new tenant moving in down the hall. Next to Haru's apartment to be exact.

Haru and Sebun locked eyes, the atmosphere growing thick.

"I just hope it's not a carnivore."

That was the last thing Haru needed. Her ears dropped, a rock settling in her stomach. She placed her tea down, the cup rattling on the plate.

_What if it is a carnivore?_

* * *


	2. Rabbit's On The Menu

* * *

**Chapter Two**

_Rabbit's On The Menu_

* * *

Legosi couldn't get rid of the smell of her blood. It was thick and potent for such a small animal. No wonder rabbits were a delecasy.

_She doesn't deserve to be attacked though,_ his mind thought.

Legosi growled, annoyed. He rinsed his hands in the river, scrubbing his hand against the gravel and mud as hard as he could, doing anything to get rid of the smell of blood.

His stomach twisted into a knot when he pulled out his hand from the water, little droplets falling off his fur. It was slightly pink and still smelled like her.

"For fucks sake!" He snarled, seeing his eyes redden around his pupils in the reflection of the water. He rammed his hands back in the water, vigorously rubbing them again until he felt his fur would fall off.

After the smell was but a faint memory, Legosi walked down the streets, his eyes scanning the area. He had to get something to eat -- and quick, before he attacked another herbivore.

He rubbed his face, dragging his fingers down his cheeks. He felt exhausted, tired beyond belief and the only thing that was on his mind was meat.

Legosi's stomach growled and he growled back at it, annoyed. "Just shut up for once!" He squeezed his stomach, the pangs of hunger getting stronger.

He turned the corner and the smell of meat rammed his nose, making his hunger all that much worse. He swallowed the pool of saliva in his mouth.

What was it going to be today?

_Rabbit?_

He wickedly licked his fangs.

* * *

After a good meal, Legosi leaned back on his chair, picking his teeth with his claw aimlessly. Small bones had a bad habit of getting stuck in his back teeth. His stomach felt full, hunger no longer clouding his mind.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket, scrolling through his messages.

**Hyena. Male. 27. 34 River Side Drive, 23762. $1,000.**

Legosi groaned, leaning forward. Hyanas were the worst; so fisty for no reason, even when they were on their last leg. And for $1,000? That was spit change.

But he didn't make the rules so he sent a quick 'K' and placed a $50 on the table before heading out. He ducked under the entrance door and looked down the Back Alley Market. He sniffed the air, his mouth watering all over again.

His eyebrows lowered, annoyed. His hunger was starting to get out of control and he needed to put a leash on it soon before he hurt another herbivore, or worse -- kill one.

Flashes of the rabbit from earlier swam in his mind. He remembered how tiny she felt against his body. How her body squirmed under him and how her blood pumped furiously under her soft fur. He licked his lips subconsciously.

_"P-please!" She cried._

Legosi shook his head, the memory of her scream making his stomach churned unpleasantly.

It had been almost a five years since he started eating meat, and for the most part, he doesn't regret it. He was far worse of before he had started eating it. He recalled the memories of the insatiable hunger that consumed every waking second of his life. He had gone as far as locking himself in his room for a month for the safety of others.

And then he couldn't resist when Bill brought him the small bottle of rabbit blood. All it took was a small whiff from the tiny jar to send him into a black-out frenzy. He couldn't even remember what happened next. All he remebered was he woke up the next day with deep scratch wounds on his body.

And how there had been a large bag of cow meat left on the floor with a note from Bill.

**_Enjoy. _**

And that he did. After that bag of meat, he finally calmed down. The beast had finally gotten fed.

But now, now it seemed that the hunger was getting worse. It was like he had been starving himself for meat for years all over again. Except he wasn't. He ate meat almost every day.

Legosi walked by the river he had been at earlier. Involuntarily, memories of the small rabbit flashed in his mind again, her scream making his tail swing between his legs.

He had never attacked an innocent before. It was a first. The only animals he attacked were the ones who were attacking others. He attacked other carnivores. Not herbivores. Never the herbivores.

He snorted, looking at his hand with a frown.

_Things could have turned out so much worse tonight, _he thought. An innocent animal could have died, and it would have been all his fault. Done by his own claws and fangs.

_It's just a small rabbit, what's the big deal?_ His mind thought. _They reproduce like crazy. No one will miss a measly rabbit._ A sharp growl left his mouth, knowing these depraved thoughts weren't his own. They belong to the beast inside him that he fought every day to keep satieated.

"Shut it," Legosi snapped, walking faster.

_I'm in control. I'm in control. I'm. In. Control._

* * *

Legosi arrived at the hyena's house. He lived in a bad side of town, as epxected. Legosi climbed up the side of the shabby house and broke in through the window, making a messy entrance. He wasn't in the mood to step on egg shells tonight.

He was in the mood for a good fight. The carnivore in him needed it.

The smell of raw flesh harassed his nose, awakening the beast inside him. _Pork. Beef. Buffalo. Chicken. Squirrel._ He sniffed again. _Rabbit._

Anger bubbled in his chest, surprising him. What right did he have to get mad?

Snarls came from the shadows, giving away the hyena before he launched at Legosi, bearing his teeth and claws. The heyna's eyes were a dark red, almost the shade of blood, a sign that he had lost himself to his inner beast.

Legosi's hand snapped to the hyena's neck. Legosi was far bigger and stronger than the hyena, giving him the advantage of reach and strength. Legosi's claws brutally dug themselves into the hyena's neck, chocking him.

With a twist of his body, Legosi brought the hyena down to the floor with monstrous force. He knocked the hyena so hard it stunned him for a split second before it started clawing at Legosi's arm.

Legosi reeled his arm as far back as he could, his elbow going as high as possible before it came down full force on to the hyena face.

He began counting. He always counted. _One. Two._ Broken nose. _Three. Four._ Broken jaw. _Five. Six. Seven._ Losing consciousness. _Eight._ Begging. Even the carnivores begged in front of death. _Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve._ Out Cold.

But Legosi couldn't stop. There was something in the hyena's red eyes that resonated with his own red eyes. He couldn't find the source of the anger. He just knew it was there, in his chest, like a sweltering ball of lead. It was eating away at him. All because of that rabbit. All because she had begged and it would always hang over his neck.

_Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen._

Something hot built up behind Legosi's eyes, and a broken cry slipped out between his fangs.

_Sixteen. Seventeen._

Why couldn't he move on? Was it always going to haunt him? Was her sweet smell and yelps of pain going to follow him to his grave?

A powerful growl left his lips as he bit down on the hyena's neck, the beast inside him taking hold of his body.

"Stop! You filthy mongrel!"

Legosi froze, recognizing the voice. He slowly loosened his jaw, blood and saliva dripping from his teeth and onto the broken face below him. He closed his eyes, trying to compose himself.

"Pathetic. Consumed by your own desires. No wonder half of you are behind bars."

Anger bubbled up in Legosi's chest but he couldn't argue because he was right. Slowly Legosi stood to his full height, wiping the blood and spit off his snout with the back of his hand.

"You're suppose to capture them, not kill them."

Legosi turned around, finally facing the red deer.

Louis stared at him, disgust evident on his face. He looked at him like he stumbled upon a giant pile of shit.

Legosi spat to the side. "No point. He wasn't going to get better. I could tell."

"So you call the shots now, is that it?" Louis walked up to him, and in a split second Legosi felt the cool metal of a gun against his throat. "You work for _me_, you stupid dog."

Legosi froze, the gun digging deeper into his neck. Fear bubbled to the surface of his chest.

_This is how she felt,_ he thought. His chest tightened, his breath caught in his throat.

"I'm sorry," Legosi said, his bloody hands raising in defeat.

Louis gave him one last glare before he lowered his gun.

"You only get $500."

"You said $1,000 in the text!"

"That was before I knew you would kill him!"

Legosi's tongue caught in his throat. Again, Louis was right. He was always right. "Fine," Legosi growled, his hands coiling into fist.

It was no wonder he was forced to move into those rundown apartments by the Back Alley Market. The amount he got paid was barely getting him by. At this rate he was going to need a regular job and that was no easy fee for an ex-convict.

The last option was working at the Back Alley Market, and once you worked there, there was no leaving. You became completely chained down by the market.

The buyer became the seller.

And the eater became the eaten.

And in the end, the meat owned you.

"Get your shit together, Legosi," Louis warned, staring at him over his shoulder. "You're starting to slip."

"I'm fine," he said, wiping his snout again. "Just a long day."

_I'm in control. I'm in control._

Louis sighed, sounding annoyed. "There's been a new attack," he said, "down by the centre. A small white dwarf rabbit by the name of Haru--"

Louis's voice drifted into the distance. Something was pounding in Legosi's ears. And in his chest. It kept getting louder and louder and _louder_. He grabbed on to his stomach, feeling worms dancing inside.

There was no warning, just a last second turn as his stomach tightened and his meal came up with full force. He felt tiny bones get stuck in his throat, causing him to cough, making him vomit more. Blood poured out of his mouth, metallic and sour, spoiled by his stomach acid. It stung his throat, causing his eyes to water and his nose to run.

Louis made a disgusted sound. "Guess heyna is off the menu, huh?"

"The attack," Legosi's said, pretending he hadn't heard Louis's comment. "What happened?" He coughed, spitting out the tiny bone that was jammed in his throat.

"Small dwarf rabbit by the name of Haru. She was attacked downtown, around 10:52 today. She didn't see the attacker. She didn't even see what species they were." Louis clicked his tongue. "All we have is that he's big." Louis rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. "I'm assuming it's a 'he.' Rare to get females these days. They're far more civil than the male carnivores."

But in that moment Legosi felt small. Small like the bugs he played with as a kid. Smaller, even.

"Nothing else?" Legosi asked, feeling some relief that the rabbit hadn't seen him. His stomach tightened again but he fought the nausea off.

A singular ear twitched on Louis's head. "She dropped her purse and scarf but we found nothing. Not even the dogs could pick up a smell. This carnivore knew what he was doing."

Legosi did know. He knew how to throw off the nose of a canine. He was a wolf, after all.

"Sounds like it'll be tough," Legosi said cooly. He shoved his hands in his pocket, feeling the small scarf inside.

He didn't know why he kept it. Some instinct telling him to do so. It was like some form of a tracker, something he could use to find his way back her if he needed. It was a canine thing. Or he at least told himself that, because otherwise it meant he kept it for all the wrong reasons.

_So you can find her and eat her!_ The beast sneered inside his head. _How delectable she must taste._ . .

Legosi closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing.

"I'll find him," Louis said, his voice low as he leaned against the wall. "No one's gotten away before."

"Right."

It was true. No one had ever escaped Louis. He always found them in the end.

For a moment they locked eyes and Louis looked at him with something dark in his eyes. There was something electric in the air and it made the hairs on Legosi's back stand on their ends.

Louis's eyes drifted to the body behind Legosi.

"You'll end up like him if you don't watch yourself, Legosi."

Louis's words were so heavy they weighed like an elephant on Legosi's shoulder.

"I said I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. You're eyes are red around the edges."

Legosi closed his eyes. "It's been a stressful day."

Louis didn't ask. He never did. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

"Here."

Legosi walked forward, grabbing the envelope full of money but Louis didn't let it go.

"Get yourself a good meal," Louis sneered, before roughly shoving the money into Legosi's chest. "I hear rabbits are popular these days."

* * *


	3. Stupid Rumours

* * *

**Chapte****r Three**

_Stupid Rumours_

* * *

Both Sebun and Haru held their ears against the wall, desperately trying to hear what the neighbours were talking about.

Earlier today, around lunch time, they heard their neighbours Raika and Fina talking about who was moving in next to Haru.

"--work at--"

There was shuffling and moving behind the wall. They sounded further now.

Haru pressed harder into the wall, pressing until her ear hurt from squishing it. Sebun was doing the same.

"--ly a herbivore then."

Both the females ears perked up in excitement, a huge wave of relief washing over them. Haru turned over, pressing her back against the wall.

"Thank Whale," Haru sighed. Whatever evil presence that had been clenching her heart finally loosened it's hold. She could breathe.

"A herbivore!" Sebun said excitedly, clapping her hands together. "We can invite them over for dinner!"

"It'll he nice to have a new herbivore in the building."

"What if they're a hermit like Bogue?"

"Or they play with corpses like Eugene?"

The girls shivered with disgust, the mood turning sour.

"If we're lucky, maybe it'll be a model like Mugi! A tall, handsome herbivore model." Sebun's eyelashes flapped dreamily, her hand over her heart as her mind painted fantazies. "Wouldn't that be nice, Haru?"

Thoughts of the handsome male deer popped into Haru's mind unexpectedly, surprising her. "Yeah," Haru agreed, a blush warming her cheeks. "It would be nice."

"You're blushing!" Sebun pointed out, giggling. Then she got serious. "We would have fight to the death to show who the superior female is."

Haru burst into laughter but quickly stopped, her muscles protesting against the movements.

The tackle from the other night had taken it's told.

"You can have him." Haru said, wincing as she adjusted herself against the wall. "I don't think I'm into tall guys anymore." A shiver went up her spine at the memory of being caged in large arms.

"Oh good," Sebun said, sighing. "I was getting ready for the fight of my life." Her ears flapped, showing she meant no harm and it was all jokes.

Haru mimicked her, her own ears twitching. "I have my mind set on a red deer anyways."

Sebun's eyebrow rose suspiciously. "Who?"

"He's a cop."

"Like. . . Sergeant Louis, defender of all herbivores and future Beastars, _red deer_?"

Sebun rambled quickly, leaning into Haru with large eyes.

Haru's eyes opened up with shock. Guess she was out of the loop on the whole thing. She had no idea Sergeant Louis was that famous. Made sense though, she was never big on televisions, her parents raising her on books and CD's instead. She liked it that way. The books didn't keep you updated on every herbivore that was attacked on the daily.

Haru's chest tightened, anxiety building up in her ribcage.

"Oh no no no," Sebun said, shaking her head side to side. "This means war, Haru. Sergeant Louis is my dream guy."

Sebun always made things better. Her humour and carefree atittude was infectious. It was one her many good traits. She always won people over with her kindness and humour.

Haru smiled. "I won't fight you, Sebun." One of her ears twitched.

"Your left ear twitched!" Sebun accused, giving Haru a suspicious look. "It does that when you lie."

"Stupid ear." Haru reached up with her good arm and pulled her ear down. "Can't lie to anyone because of you," she hissed at her ear, jokingly.

"Guess it's war."

"Guess so."

The girls laughed.

* * *

Haru spent the rest of her day shuffling through her things, keeping herself busy. It was almost manic at this point. It was like she didn't want to pause. She didn't want time to think, because it meant thinking about yesterday. And we couldn't have that.

Haru chest got tight and she frantically shuffled through her kitchen drawers, slamming and opening them. She couldn't even remember what she was looking for at this point.

Her eyes travelled around the kitchen. Maybe she could find a clue.

There was white bread on a counter and half a cucumber.

_Food.__ I was making myself food, _she thought. She reached into the drawer and pulled out a knife.

_I almost became food._

Haru's hand went to her chest, the knife falling back in the drawer. Whatever was in her mind was growing, consuming her. _Eating_ her.

It was like she hadn't gotten away. What kind of sick joke was this? She was alive, wasn't she?

The most ironic part was that her mind really had locked away the awful memories. Even when she did think, it was like her mind froze. Like her mind was buffering and she was stuck on a mental loading screen with nothing there.

But her body was different. Her body consisntely relived the feelings and sensations of yesterday. Her body shivered like the carnivores breath was still wafting across the sensitive skin of her neck.

The all too familiar bubble of anxiety bloomed in her chest. She felt that any neck related thing would be off the charts now. Ruined.

Haru closed her eyes, trying to compose herself. She felt light-headed, like she might pass out and kiss the floor.

"Just breathe," she calmly told herself. There was a shake in her voice. A hint of fear.

After a few moments of breathing, Haru continued with making herself dinner, ignoring the small tear that rolled down her cheek silently.

She struggled to cut the cucumber, doing her best to pretend like her arm wasn't throbbing with pain. She bit down on her lip.

In the end, she gave up on the sandwich.

* * *

The kitchen had been cleaned, along with the bathroom, living room, bedroom, closets, cupboards, drawers. Anything. Any little place she could reach, she would clean.

Laundry was done, too. She pulled out all of her items and organized then into piles; for donation, summer, winter, gifts, and a pile for lazy days. She then broke those down into smaller categories. Casual lazy days and actual lazy days. Formal wear and casual formal wear. Etc.

Haru spent hours turning her place inside out and all around. She wanted it to feel new, like she was moving into a new place.

Her ears perked at the sound of the oven dinging. The cookies were done.

She pulled them out of the oven, placing the tray on top. She had baked several kinds of cookies. Carrot zucchini honey bites. Almond date delites. Lavender orange vanilla cake.

She had a large assortment of things. Haru stood proudly in front of her baked goods, hands on her hips.

There was flour and smudges of different ingredients on her face and apron.

She had to stay extra busy. Anything and everything would suffice.

Mike had texted her earlier, telling her to take the rest of the week off. And the week after that too.

Which meant she had almost two weeks of nothing. Winter break had just started as well and she had two weeks of vacation left there too.

Haru's ears dropped, her stomach growling in hunger.

_Two weeks,_ she thought, chewing on her lip. _Two weeks with myself._

Sebun wasn't going to be free much. This was the busiest time of year for her. This was when the sales mattered most, where she worked her hardest so she could prove herself to her colleagues.

And her family wasn't coming back from Mexico until a couple of days before Christmas.

And all her school friends had moved away, in search to expand their horizons and try new things. Not that she had many friends. In all honesty, Sebun was her best friend.

Haru was alone. Alone in a time where she would take anyone's company. She just didn't want to be with her thoughts.

Haru sighed, ignoring the growling of her stomach, and walked back into her room to finish organizing her things.

_Maybe I'll try rolling my clothes instead of folding it_ . . . She began to sort through things, figuring out different ways to put things away.

* * *

After hours of cleaning and organizing, exhaustion started to win the battle. Her eyes grew heavy, and her mind started to feel foggy. She rolled the shoulder in her good arm, and it protested in pain from over use and abuse. She signed, gently tilting her head side to side to stretch her neck as she pulled a clean towel from her closet.

She turned the shower on, blasting the hot water. The bathroom filled up with steam as Haru stripped her clothing, ignoring the rabbit she saw in the mirror that had bruises decorating her soft fur.

They weren't the same person. They didn't even know eachother.

Haru let a large sigh out as she stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the days sweat and grime. She rolled her neck around, letting the hot water wash down the front of her body.

Her ears twitched as the water entered her ears, an unpleasant feeling. She grabbed the soap and carefully washed her body, mindful of the bandages.

After a few minutes, she slowly began peeling away the bandages, her lips pinched roughly between her two front teeth. With a soft whimper she peeled off the last layer, exposing the ugly wound to the water.

Small bits of blood oozed out, tainting her soft fur pink as the water and blood mixed on her fur like paint on paper.

She stood there for a while, watching the pink water run down into the drain. She felt like she was in the trance, caught up on the sight of her own blood.

Eventually the water began to turn cold so she step out, the balls of her feet sore from standing on porcelain so long.

She grabbed the towel off the counter and once again ignored the mirror, wrapping herself quickly and heading to her room where she put on a pair of thick pajamas. Yellow. Her favourite color.

_"It's because you're like sunshine, Love,"_ her mom's soft voice filled her head. _"That's why you like yellow."_

Haru wiped her eyes as she wrapped her arm with fresh bandages, doing a poor and loose job with them.

_It's fine. It'll be fine. I'll be fine._

Haru layed on her bed, staring at the ceiling, ignoring her growling stomach. She had forgotten to eat amongst all the business of today.

_Whatever,_ she thought, rolling onto her side and closing her eyes. _Carnivores don't like thin prey._

* * *

Morning couldn't come fast enough, Haru thought, praying the sun would just jump up in to the sky and make it a new day. All night she tossed and turned, waking up covered in sweat, her heart rattling viciously in her ribcage. It felt like it was going to explode. Like she was going to explode.

At last, the first few signs of daylight started to poke through her window and she sprung out of bed.

She began her morning routine. Shower. Brush teeth. Brush fur. Get dress. Skip breakfast. Read her textbooks. Listen to music. Read some more. Reorganize the fridge. Bandages. Wait, did she change the bandages already? She looked down at her arm. It almost didn't feel like it was her own arm as she stared at it.

_It's fine. It'll be fine. I'll be fine_

Haru kept an eye on the clock, knowing the new neighbour would be here soon. It was almost 10:37 in the morning. They should be arriving soon and once they did, Haru could help them move in. Help them organise. Talk with them. Share her cookies with them. Keep herself busy with them.

She heard a truck pull up, and she stood quickly from the ground, focusing in on the sound. She ran to the window, trying to get a peak but couldn't see anything from her angle.

Haru excitedly ran to the bathroom, making sure she looked like a decent member of society and not a bum.

"_First impressions are important." her_ dad's voice echoed in her mind.

She leaned into the mirror to look at her eyes; they were puffy, but nothing a little Fur Touch-Up couldn't fix. She dug through her makeup bag and pulled the cream she needed. She squeezed some onto her fingers and then she smeared it around her eyes.

Once she was done she scrunched up her nose and walked out of the bathroom. She grabbed the plate she prepared for the neighbour. She put on if everything on it.

_I hope they like them_, she thought, excited as she walked towards the door.

Haru's ears flapped as she closed the door behind her, a smile on her lips. The door closed with a soft click and she turned around, taking a few steps towards the stairs.

She peaked over the rail and saw no one, so her eyes trailed until she found the stairs. Her eyes going up and up.

Then she saw him.

Haru froze, her ears instantly folding behind her head.

An all to familiar chill went up her spine as she watched the large wolf go up the stairs, his large ears flapping. He paused near the top of the stairs and sniffed the air.

Haru felt a ghostly breath go across her neck as she watched the wolf sniff the air. She watched as he paused, his ears freezing and pointing directly up. Slowly, he turned his head and the plate in her hand slipped, all her baked goods falling to the ground and scattering.

* * *

Many thanks to **@Sorrowan **and **@****Caskaida** for leaving the first comments on my story. It's greatly appreciated.


	4. Move-In Day

* * *

**Chapter Four**

_Move-In Day_

* * *

She gasped as all the treats scattered across the ground, the plastic plate making a loud sound as it hit the ground. Instantly the wolf's eyes snapped to her, zeroing in on her form.

He took the last step, leaving them on the same floor. He stared directly at her from across the deck, his eyebrows high.

Haru felt her fear spike, leaving her paralyzed on the spot; it was like her feet had melted to the ground and became one with it.

The wolf slowly placed the box he was holding down on the ground, never breaking eye contact. He didn't say anything, just stared.

_Stop staring!_ _It's making it all worse!_ Haru thought, frustrated. Frustrated at who? Herself? At her legs that wouldn't budge? Or the wolf that was slowly taking steps towards her, approaching with smooth strides.

_Move! Move! RUN._

But she couldn't. All she managed was a twitch from her knees.

_Then say something!_

She moved her tongue around her mouth, finding her tongue to be glued to the roof of her mouth.

The wolf was closer now, half way. He was moving even slower, his eyes getting larger, like he was scared of her just as much as she was of him. Slowly he brought his hands up, like he knew she was scared and so he showed he meant no harm.

What was happening to her? She had spoken to carnivores before so what was so different now?

_One almost killed you._

Haru closed her eyes, ignoring the voice in her head and the approaching wolf. If she closed her eyes it would all go away.

_Why did he have to be so big? He's so much bigger than an average gray wolf._

_He's a __large carnivore. Just like the one who attacked you._

Haru's heart raised at a million miles an hour but she found her voice, pulling it out of her chest with all her might. She was an adult. She could do this.

"Hello! My name's Ha--"

"Haru."

Haru's eyes flew open and she flinched in surprise when she found the large wolf crouched right in front her, his snout a couple of feet away. He was holding her plate in his hand, an anxious look in his eyes as he scanned her face.

_How does he know my name?_

As if reading her mind, the wolf said, "The security guard told me." His eyes shifted to the side, staring at the wall for a second before he continued, "He said a small dwarf rabbit named Haru lived next to me." He cleared his throat, and Haru watched as his Adam's apple bounced when he swallowed. "My name's Legosi. Gray Wolf. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to you meet you too." There was a shake in her voice and she prayed that those keen wolf ears wouldn't pick it up, but that was hopeless wishing; wolves were known for their sharp ears and excellent sense of smell.

Legosi turned his head back to look at her, their eyes locking. He had small eyes for a wolf, she noted, giving him a more intimidating look. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, like he was trying compose himself.

_What a strange wolf. . ._

"Those were for you. I heard rumours the new neighbour was going to be a . . . herbivore." Haru shifted on her feet, finally able to move again. "Guess the rumours were wrong."

Haru gave a nervous laugh, grabbing her arm on reflex but flinched in pain when she touched it.

That grabbed the wolf's attention, his eyes darting to the bandage that was peaking out from under her sleeve.

"Your arm," Legosi said, his voice quiet. He raised a large claw and pointed at her arm but quickly lowered it to grip his knee.

_Is he trembling? _Haru's ears flapped, concerned. _Trick of the light._

"What happened to it?"

Haru watched as the wolf swallowed again, his jaw set tight.

Haru cleared her throat, her mouth full of sand. "I work in a restaraunt. It's easy to get burned." She gave a nervous laugh, her left ear twitching. "It hurt pretty bad."

Legosi just stared at her for what felt like eternity, a silent moment hanging between them so thick Haru couldn't breathe. Again she felt her heart rate pick up, the sound of blood pumping in her ears getting louder and louder.

"I'm sorry," Legosi whispered, breaking the silence.

Instantly some stress melted of Haru as a bubbled of warm laughter slipped out of her mouth.

"It's not your fault," she said through some soft laughter. "Just a burn."

Haru tilted her head too stare at the wolf and she watched as a small smile pulled at his maw. His tail wagged slowly behind him. He looked friendly, innocent almost.

"I'm sorry about the mess." Haru crouched, balancing herself on the balls of her feet. With her good arm, she reached out and started picking up the food she dropped. "I have more in my apartment. I made a bunch of things so I can pop by later and give you a new plate."

The wolf's eyes opened up, a surprise look in them. "These are fine."

Haru's ears went flat, a strange look on her face as she tried to hide the disgust. "That's kinda gross."

That made the large wolf blush with embarrassment.

Haru laughed. "Really, it's fine. I enjoy baking so I'm always making treats for everyone."

"That's very nice of you."

Haru shrugged. "Keeps me busy."

She reached for the last cookie and bumped hands with the wolf, who had decided to help her out last minute. They both flinched, pulling their hands back quickly as if lightning had been shared between them.

Haru swallowed and then a nervous laugh slipped out. "Sorry."

Before the wolf had a chance to answer, she grabbed the plate from his hand and quickly said, "I'll give you some time to settle in." She turned on her heel, opening her apartment door. "It was nice meeting you." With a quick wave and a shake of her ears, she closed the door.

Instantly a wave of relief washed over her when she closed the door, putting a barrier between the wolf and her. She leaned against the door, listening; for a a while the wolf didn't move. He stayed there, silent. She could barely hear him breathe.

After a few long seconds, she finally heard him leave, his heavy steps making the old boards creak under his weight.

Haru sighed, sliding down against the door. She stared down at the cookies, a knot in her stomach. _So much for the herbivore,_ she bitterly thought, flicking one of the cookies off the plate. She watched it skid across her tile floor and split into a few pieces, scattering in different directions. _Thanks a lot Raika and Fina._

* * *

Legosi gripped the sink in his bathroom, his claws digging into the porcelain, cracking it. He stared at himself in the mirror, hating what he saw.

The edges of his eyes were slightly red. The beast inside him had been stirred awake by Haru.

Haru, the small rabbit he had attacked.

Haru, the rabbit Louis was investigating.

Haru, his next door neighbour.

A frustrated growl left Legosi's mouth as he punched the mirror, shattering it. Pieces fell into the sink below, showing a broken reflection of himself. He was tired of seeing his reflection. Sick and tired of seeing the frightening eyes that always looked back at him. Tormenting him.

After a few minutes of breathing, Legosi went back downstairs to fetch the rest of his things from the rental truck he had rented.

He flew down the stairs, taking the steps four at a time.

His nose picked up the scent of an animal. He sniffed the air. It smelled like salt and fish. A sea animal?

Legosi stepped around the truck and found a spotted seal leaning over the truck and taking a peak at his things.

_At least he's not stealing_, Legosi thought. _Not that I own anything of value. . ._

"Can I help you?"

The spotted seal lifted his head and stared at him through small eyes. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Legosi frowned. "I'm fine. Thank you."

The seal stared blankly. Sea creatures were hard to read. Most of them lacked ears and tails so it was always hard to predict what they were thinking.

"You don't look fine," the seal pointed out.

_What's with everyone and telling me I look like shit?_ Legosi bitterly thought. Annoyed, he stepped towards the truck and grabbed a box. Sea creatures always lacked filters, speaking their thoughts openly.

"My name's Legosi. Gray wolf. Nice to meet you," he said through tight teeth. He needed to be friendly. Life was already going to he hard enough living next to the rabbit. He didn't need to make enemies or upset anyone else in the building.

Haru seemed to be tormented enough just by having a carnivore as her neighbour.

She seemed so scared when she saw him, frozen solid by just his presence alone. _Poor thing_, he thought, recalling how she had closed her eyes like a frightened child. His ears fell flat against his head.

The seal reached into the truck and grabbed the last box. "Zaguan. Spotted seal. Room 306. Nice to meet you."

Legosi gave a small bow, and then nodded in the direction of his apartment. "How long have you lived here?"

"Not very long."

_So like a week? A month? Less than a year?_ Legosi tapped his claws against the box, one eye twitching.

"The land is a very strange place."

They walked up the stairs.

"I heard the sea is strange place as well."

"Guess that makes us both strange, huh?" the seal replied, casually. He walked up the stairs oddly. Very clearly a sea creature. It was like he calculated the steps carefully, afraid he might fall.

_Speak for yourself,_ Legosi thought, eyeing the seal over his shoulder suspiciously.

"You're living next to Haru," the seal pointed out, noticing the opened door of his apartment. "She's very nice."

"I noticed."

Legosi walked up to his door and he saw the curtains in Haru's window move, his keen eyes catching her.

There was a rock sitting in the back of his throat and he couldn't swallow it.

Legosi walked into his apartment, pretending like he hadn't seen Haru. He placed the box down and flinched when he heard the seal knocking on Haru's door.

_Shit! No, no -- sh__e wants to be alone,_ Legosi thought as he spun on his heel, taking two long strides to get out onto the deck.

Haru's door opened slightly and he stared down at her. He smiled awkwardly from behind the seal.

"Hello, Haru," Zaguan greeted, giving a small bow. "How are you?"

Legosi bowed himself, feeling foolish. They had talked just a few minutes ago. There was no reason for him to bow.

Haru's eyes went from suspicious to warm when they settled on Zaguan.

"Hello, Zaguan," she said, her voice soft as she tilted her head in a friendly way. "It's nice to see you."

_So it's not all carnivores she's scared off,_ Legosi observed, noticing how Haru opened the door a bit more at the sight of Zaguan. _She's just scared of me._

His eyes drifted to the sky, noticing how high the sun was. It was getting closer to lunch time.

"Would you like some sweets?" Haru chirped, pulling Legosi out of his somber thoughts.

"Oh yes," Zaguan said, placing Legosi's box on the ground.

_So much for helping me._ Legosi's ear twitched as he picked up the abandoned box. He sneaked a peek into Haru's apartment, disliking how the smelly seal walked into her home so casually. We're they good friends?

Haru was in her kitchen, her baby blue sweater falling off one of her shoulders, exposing her delicate neck. When she offered her treats to Zaguan, she smiled up at him and it hit her eyes in a way that made Legosi's heart flutter.

Legosi swallowed, staring down at the box. _What was that?_

"Would you like one, Legosi?"

Legosi's head snapped up.

Zaguan was holding up a treat in his hand, beckoning him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have asked first, Haru." Zaguan lowered the treat, looking down at her.

_Crouch,_ Legosi snarled in his head. _It's polite._

Haru smiled, but it didn't quite hit her eyes the same.

"It's totally fine. Technically, I made them for him."

There it was again -- the flutter.

_She thought you were a herbivore, that's why._ Legosi cleared his throat. _Turns out you're a big ol' wolf who likes rabbits._ What the Hell was his problem? Why couldn't he have a single normal thought? It was like this damn rabbit was taking over his mind, fighting the beast inside him. It was a constant back and forth between the two. It was taking up every space available in his mind.

_If you ate her it would all go away,_ the beast teased, making Legosi's blood heat up.

"No!" Legosi snarled. _No!_

A hand went to his mouth, catching himself a second too late. His eyes shot to the rabbit and he wished he could vanish into thin air.

Her little ears were behind her head, her big eyes full of fear as she stared at him from across the room.

_Idiot, _Legosi thought to himself. _You're a complete idiot._ His heartbeat picked up, pumping anxious blood throughout his body. His head felt hot but his hands and feet might as well have been shoved into snow.

"Legosi?" Zaguan tilted his head, eyeing him through suspicious eyes. Or were they curious? Maybe threatening? Legosi couldn't tell with these sea creatures and it irked him to no end.

He watched as Haru stepped closer to Zaguan, seeking comfort from the spotted seal. The sight made Legosi nauseas.

"I -- I'm sorry, Haru," Legosi said, panting. It was like he had ran a marathon. He was exhausted and sweaty. What was happening to him? The look in Haru's eyes made everything worse. So much worse. It made the smoldering lead ball in his chest shake, burning other parts of his inners. He wanted to yell at her to stop looking at him like, like _that_ \-- it was twisting his guts into a knot he wasn't sure he could undo.

_This. . . this is guilt, _Legosi realized, his heart in his throat.

Guilt. Such an ugly word.

Guilt sank it's claws into him, dragging them across his chest violently, ripping the wind right out if him.

* * *

Haru watched as the strange wolf stood at the entrance of her apartment, a stressful look in his eyes as he stared at her.

His stare was so intense it sent shivers up her spine. She couldn't understand why he was looking at her like that. She knew what a hungry canrnivore looked like and this wasn't it. This was, in a sense, worse? Because she couldn't understand what was happening.

Maybe he was hungry? Maybe that's what a hungry wolf looked like? Or perhaps he was stressed? Anxious? Grieving? Maybe he was going through something? Question after question raced in her mind, but one thing was clear.

Legosi froze, just like she had.

And if anyone knew what that was like, it was her.

Haru swallowed, her eyes going over the tray of baked goods._What has the most protein?_ Unsure, she chose to pack a new plate of whatever she thought would be suitable for a carnivore. Zaguan was never picky with her cooking, so maybe the wolf would be the same. She hoped, at least.

"I made other things, too," Haru said, turning to look at the wolf. He was still standing at the door, frozen like a statue. He was looking pale, like his fur had lighten in color.

As she approached the wolf, his eyes grew large, like she was carnivore and he was the tiny rabbit.

_Such a strange wolf. . ._

When she was a few feet away, Legosi put his box down with haste and crouched, meeting her at eye level. Well, almost. He was still taller.

_He's polite._

"Here," Haru said, extending the plate. "I guess 'later' came a lot sooner." She laughed, nervous.

With a slow hand the wolf gingerly grabbed the plate from her hand, being watchful of his claws. Haru noticed these things. It was incredibly rare to see carnivores act polite towards herbivores.

_"They're not all bad."_ Sebun's voice popped into her head.

_Yeah, _Haru thought. _They're not all bad._

She smiled and the wolf smiled back.

* * *

Zaguan stared at the two land creatures as he nibbled on some cake.

_Such peculiar creatures these land animals are._ He reached for another treat, a smile on his face. _I do indeed enjoy the land, _he thought, laughing to himself.

* * *


	5. Haru's Wall

* * *

**Chapter Five **

_Haru's Wall_

* * *

Sleep had always been easy for Legosi. All he ever had to do was close his eyes and drift off. It was simple. Second nature. There was nothing to it.

But now, now he couldn't catch a break. For the past week and a half, he had gotten a lick of sleep at most.

Most nights, if not every night, Haru would violent thrash in her sleep. Small animals had the habit of sleeping right up against walls or corners . . . which meant he could hear every slam and bump from Haru at night.

It drove him nuts.

He tried sleeping on the other side of the room, pushing his own mattress a far as possible from Haru's wall.

But it didn't work. He could still hear the scratching and kicking no matter what. Why did she choose the wall that was connected to his apartment? Why not the lamb's wall? He was the one with sensitive ears not the lamb!

He could hear her kick, toss, turn, and sometimes she would _scream_ and his sensitive wolf ears picked it all up. He pressed them down against his skull, closing his eyes in frustration and anxiety. What could he do?

He flinched when he heard a kick against the wall, making his blood run cool under his fur.

This was all his fault. He knew that. He didn't have to ask her what was wrong or even share small talk with Haru.

it was obvious that the night he attacked her was taking a toll on her mentality.

Haru's violent thrashing finally came to a stop. She must have woken up, he concluded, sighing with relief. He relaxed his tensed shoulders, slowly lowering his hands to release his ears. They ached from how hard he had been pressing them down so he moved them around, stretching them.

Legosi pulled his knees in, staring at his feet in the darkness of his room.

Even when the chaos from Haru came to a stop, he still couldn't sleep. Because that's when all guilt came in, forming tight knots in his chest that were almost as bad as hearing Haru's little whimpers. With every whimper from Haru, a hammer banged on his heart, violently, knocking the wind right out of him.

Exhausted, he rubbed his eyes vigorously. He stood from the ground and walked across his room to pick up his phone. He scrolled through his messages.

Louis hasn't texted him in days, his last envelope being two days after he had moved. And this time he had even kept the vicious animal alive -- after it almost tore his eye out. Eagles always went for the eyes. But even after all that, Louis still paid him dirt. A miserable $700 dollars.

Legosi chucked his phone on the bed as he walked towards the window. His blood was running hot with anger and agitation. He slammed the window open, taking a deep breath in of fresh air. Except it wasn't fresh. It smelled like warm rabbit.

He fought the urge to cover his nose, knowing Haru was most likely looking at him. His eyes shifted to the side.

"Hey," Haru said, her head resting on her arms as she stared down at the streets. "Can't sleep either?"

Legosi scanned her, noticing how she seemed thinner once again. It was like she was fading away and his sanity was going along with her.

"Yeah," he replied, running his hand over his ears. His hands were shaking. They always did when she was around. It was like nothing in his body functioned normally when he was near the tiny rabbit. His internal wiring got all messed up.

"Are you a night owl?" She asked, her ears lifting up slightly.

"No, I'm a night wolf," he stupidly replied. He bit down on his tongue, stopping himself from saying any more nonsence outloud.

But his ears picked up the sound of sunshine, or what he thought sunshine would sound like if it made a sound. His eyes met Haru as she laughed and it made his own lips twitch. Her ears were up and back to their normal position. Color was bleeding back into her face, her cheeks a soft rosy color that made his heart speed and his stomach growl. His hand flew to his stomach, squeezing it.

_Not now!_

With worry evident in his eyes, he looked at her, internally praying she hadn't heard his stomach.

"A night wolf you are," she said, still laughing.

Relieved, he sighed. She hadn't heard anything. For comfort, he kept a tight hold on his stomach. Maybe it would help with the growls.

"I guess I'm a night rabbit now too," Haru said, her warm laughter melting into the cold night. Her ears dropped once more and Legosi hated the sight. "Sleep used to be my favourite thing."

Legosi swallowed, resting his chin on his arm. "I hear Magnolia's Bark helps with sleep." He didn't want to ask why she couldn't sleep. He already knew. It was him who was chasing her in her nightmares afterall.

Haru sighed loudly, her eyebrows scrunching together. "My kitchen smells like a herbal shop at his point with all the different herbs I keep buying."

He thought he had been sniffing something odd on her for the past while, like lavender and chamomile.

"I'm sorry you're having trouble sleeping." He really was. At this point he would do pretty much anything just to be able to give her at least one night of sleep. He was the thief of her sleep, anyways. This was all his fault. Her nightmares. Her tossing and turning. Her screams and whimpers. If anyone deserved to have miserable sleep, it was him. Not Haru.

His ears went flat on his head, his tail between his legs.

"Are you ok?"

The question caught him off guard, his eyes wide as he stared at her. She tilted her head, one of her ears dropping to the side.

A cat caught his tongue so he simply nodded at her. Gosha would have slapped the back of his head if he had been here.

How he missed the old man.

"You don't have to talk about it," Haru reassured, looking like she had walked into bad territory. "I get it."

Legosi shook his head side to side. "It's fine." He eyed her from the corner of his eye. "What about you?"

"I'm ok," she lied, her left ear twitching. She took in one final breath in and closed her eyes for a second. Then she opened her eyes and Legosi saw all the pain swimming in them. The nightmares. The pain. The fear. It made him sick to his stomach. "I'm going back in. See you around, Legosi."

"Yeah." He nodded at her. "See you."

Legosi stayed there for a few minutes, staring up at the clouds that drifted over the moon. He looked for animals in the clouds to keep him busy but he only saw rabbits, and after a while, he headed back inside.

* * *

He shoved the last bite of egg sandwich in his mouth, chewing the soft bread with mild distaste.

Four sandwiches and a box of milk was not enough to quiet the beast inside.

Legosi fell back on his back, hand on stomach as it growled.

Living next to the rabbit had caused his hunger to spike. He couldn't remember the last night he had ate so much. No matter how much food he ate, his stomach wouldn't stop nagging. The only thing that would silence it was meat, and he was already eating enough of that. It had to be managed.

_I'm in control. I'm in control._ He repeated the mantra over and over in his head as he stared at the mold on the ceiling. He began daydreaming of all sorts of food. Sandwiches. Vegetables. Baked goods. Cakes. Pancakes. Ice cream. Beef. Pork. Eggs. Chicken. Rabbit.

Legosi closed his eyes, trying his hardest to forget the taste of rabbit. He didn't need more temptation. Not now. Not ever.

He sighed slowly, focusing on his breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. It was hard to breathe properly when there was an elephant sitting on your chest.

Legosi closed his eyes, relishing the silence. Haru had chosen to stay up, he supposed, because all he could hear was the soft murmuring of a radio. Within minutes he drifted off, rolling to his side, drool falling from his mouth.

* * *

Morning came too fast and far too loud. Legosi's grabbed his pillow and wrapped it around his head, desperate to drown out the sounds of pots and pans banging around.

_What the hell does she do all fucking day?_ Legosi sat up with a jolt, his eyes red from lack of sleep and his hair a tousled mess. A small growl bubbled out of his mouth as he started at the wall with twitching eyes. Haru's wall. That's what he called it, because he felt it belong more to her than him.

"That's it," Legosi thought, pulling the blankets off himself with a swipe. He picked up some clothes off the ground and sniffed them, putting on whatever smelled the cleanest. "Enough of this shit."

He stormed out of his room, rubbing the sleep off his face with his hands and doing his best to brush his fur down. He slipped his feet into his runners.

Today was the day he confronted Haru about her constant banging. The lack of sleep was making him irrational. It wasn't good for anyone. Especially her.

A hungry carnivore was one thing.

But a hungry _and_ sleep-deprived carnivore was a whole different ball game.

They became irrational, offset by the tiniest things, especially the canines. That's why they slept so much and so easily. The needed it. It was in their genes.

Legosi swung the door open, shivering as the cold winter air swept in. He sniffed the air. It smelled like snow was coming soon.

He stepped out onto the deck, the boards creaking under his feet. It was always a dead give away that he was around. His ear twitched as he looked at Haru's door, ready to bang on it with his fist.

But he did what he always did. He just stared, and then talked himself out of confronting her. Because none of it was her fault.

And then he would walk down the stairs, tail between his legs as he headed for his morning run.

It was a new habit. It helped him blow off steam and clear his thoughts. It allowed the stress in his mind to melt off and tire his body. He needed this; the burn in his legs and lungs. It centered him. So he ran, he ran until he felt his lungs would explode and his legs were made of jelly.

And then he went for breakfast and ate to his hearts content before going back home.

And whenever he came back, he would look at Haru's door from the parking lot. He anxiously rubbed his neck. He sniffed the air, the familiar but faint smell of baked good sipping from under her door. He swallowed, his mouth watering.

The only time Haru had shared her treats with him was the day he had moved in. Apart from that, she would avoid him like the plague. It pulled at his heartstrings, even though it shouldn't. It was the right thing to do; they needed to keep a distance from eachother. That's what herbivores and carnivores did, right?

"Hurry up, Fina. You're going to be late again."

Legosi ears turned, his head peaking over the railing of the stairs as he looked down at an eagle. He raised an eyebrow, noticing he had a small little box attached to his back. The eagles eyes met his and Legosi gave a small wave. He waved back.

"I'm coming! I forgot to grab my lunch," A bite-size gerbil ran out from the same door the eagle had come out off, and Legosi's eyes double in size.

_Are they living together?_ Legosi wondered, his hand tightening around the railing. He was dumbfounded.

With care, the eagle picked up the gerbil and gently placed her in the box on his back. The eagle gave him a dirty look and Legosi nodded quickly, unsure of what to do. Clearly the eagle was territorial about the gerbil.

Legosi ran a hand through his fur as he watched the eagle take off into the air, the little gerbil comfortably seated in the box.

This went against all of Legosi's beliefs. It completely debunked his philosophy.

There it was, plain as day -- an eagle and a gerbil living together. Happily. And an eagle's favourite snack was a gerbil. It didn't make any sense. At all.

Legosi shook his head, trying to shake the nonsense he had witnessed out of his mind. There was no way it would work in the long wrong. No way.

"Shoot!"

Legosi turned his head, finding Haru staring up at the sky with one hand over her eyes as she stared at the eagle and gerbil. She had stuck her head through the railings, a sour look on her face. In one hand she had a plate with something that smelled like eggs and cheese. He swallowed. He liked eggs. But clearly the plate was meant for the two who had just flown away.

"Morning, Haru," Legosi gently interrupted. Better to let her know he was around than have him catch her off guard and scare her again. One fallen plate was enough.

The rabbits ears stood pin straight and she slowly pulled her head from out of the railing. Legosi stayed a few steps below, giving her the high ground. Small animals preferred it that way. It made them feel safer.

He lifted his hand, waving.

She was wearing a dark-orange sweater today with a black skirt and sheer leggings. He had to stop his eyes from wandering down her legs, knowing that it was the wrong move to make. So he focused on her face.

"Oh hello, Legosi." She sounded stiff, like she wanted to be anywhere but here.

He didn't like that. Why couldn't they have the same relationship the eagle and gerbil had? Whatever their relationship was.

He couldn't deny it anymore. As much as he wanted to avoid Haru, it was all he could think about. And life itself seemed to be shoving her in his face, so he might as well try to have some form of relationship with her.

"Did you go for a run?" Haru asked.

He nodded, taking a step up towards her slowly. They were the same height now as he leveled with her. He swallowed, her big eyes staring at him.

"Did you. . . Did you get any sleep?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Why was he pretending like he couldn't hear everything? Irritated with himself, his ear twitched.

Haru shook her head side to side. "I got an early start so I made some food. Would you like some?"

He nodded. "It smells really good."

That got a smile out of her and he subconsciously took another step up, now a foot taller than her. Her ears tilted back just an inch.

"I like running," Haru said, placing one foot behind the other, making distance between them. "I did a lot of it when I was in highscool."

"Me too," Legosi babbled, excited, like somehow both of them running was a reason to celebrate.

His mouth filled up with sand, words lost in the desert. He shook his head as he took some more steps up. Three heads taller now. Maybe he could ask her to join him? They both enjoyed it, didn't they? He took a few more steps, his mind somewhere else in space. He was nervous, his breath catching in his throat.

He looked down at Haru and his ears pressed down to his head.

She was up against the wall, her ears flat against her head as she stared up at him with frightened eyes.

Instantly he crouched down. "I'm sorry," he blurted. "I forget my manners when I'm excited." He lowered his head, his tail wagging behind him with a slow tempo.

He watched as she sighed in relief, her ears raising again. Then she looked at him, her head tilting with a confused look on her face. "Excited?"

He scratched his chin, nervous. "We can go for runs together," he suggested, meeting her eyes. "If that's -- I don't know -- maybe -- a good idea?"

_What am I even trying to say?_ Legosi uttered in his mind, mentally slapping himself. _Hey, Haru, want to go for a run with a carnivore? In the early hours of the morning when no one is awake? Sounds good to you? I'm an idiot. _

Legosi ran a hand down his face. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I wasn't thinkin--"

"What time?"

His eyes opened in surprise, his tail wagging behind him faster. "Whatever works for you."

"8 AM? That way the sun's up and the streets are busy. I don't like going before that." He watched her swallow, her face dropping slightly with sadness. "This might be stupid, but I'm afraid of the dark."

He shook his head at her. "It's not stupid." He lowered his head onto his knee, a rock in his stomach. "It can be dangerous at night." _Especially for a herbivore._

A smile bloomed on her face and it made his tail go nuts. Seeing this small rabbit share her smile with him was worth a dirty tail.

His heart fluttered.

"Here." She put the plate in front of him. "I'll let you know about those runs."

He nodded at her, taking the plate from her hand.

She waved at him and walked away. "See you around, Legosi."

"See you."

He looked down at the plate in his hand, a smile on his face.

* * *

Legosi waited, but Haru never got back to him.

* * *


	6. Comforting Meal 1

* * *

**Chapter Six**

_Comforting Meal #1_

* * *

"There has to be another apartment. Anything."

"Look," the big buffalo said, his nostrils flaring as he looked into Legosi's eyes. "You signed the contract for room 504. So room 504 is what you get. Got it?"

This nonsense had been going on for just a little less than an hour. Legosi would ask, explain, negotiate, even bargained! -- But he kept getting the same infuriating answer:

No.

Legosi had to fight the powerful urge to not grab the buffalo by the horns and shake him until his brain was mush, and he would be too stupid to think about things like contracts. If there was a contest for most stubborn animal on the planet, then it would be a clean win by the buffaloes. Not even the bulls were as stubborn; they were at least reasonable, willing to negotiate.

Legosi's hands twitched at his sides, his claws dancing as he stared daggers at the buffalo. The thick animal couldn't understand the situation and even if he did, he'd probably still have kept his answer the same:

A big. Fat. No.

Legosi took a step forward. The deliquent in him was coming out, little by little, as his rational and civilized side retreated into the shadows. The frustration had turned into anger, and it wasn't mixing well with the zero-to-none sleep he had been getting the past month. He didn't have time to argue over something so simple that absolutely didn't need to be a problem in the first place. He knew there was other available and vacant apartments in the building, and if he could just switch, it would safe him a world of pain and problems. He couldn't bare another night of Haru's kicks, scratches, and whimperings. It was a miracle he hadn't torn his own ears off yet.

"Just give me another apartment," Legosi snarled, his eyes sharpening. He felt hot with anger, his chest and neck sweating.

Legosi saw the buffalo's eyes open up, surprised by his change in demeanor. No more mister nice. Or mister negotiate. Or mister _anything_.

But as quick as the surprise had come into the buffalo's brown eyes, it had also left, leaving him with low-set eyebrows as he eyed Legosi with mild annoyance. It was like these animals had a death wish for god's sake. They simply enjoyed being stubborn for the sake of being stubborn.

"No."

A deep growl -- one that he had been holding back with iron will -- broke out of Legosi, his resolve finally snapping. His hands balled into fist and his breathing picked up, his anger reaching the very rim of a small cup. Subconciously, his lips pulled back and he was seeing the buffalo through a red-tinted, tiny tunnel.

Then a soft scent broke through the thick pungent smell of the buffulo's body odor, floating in like a tiny needle that rammed into his nose, snapping him back to reality.

_Fuck. _Legosi felt the blood drain from his body, leaving him cold, which mixed poorly with the sweat he had built up over his dispute with the buffalo. With severe dread, he spun around and met eyes with a tiny, and very frightened looking lamb.

_What was her name again? Sebru? Sabin? Subi?_ Legosi's mind raised as he stared down at the little lamb. On more than just a few ocassions he had seen the lamb hangout with Haru. Clearly the two were close, but he had also notice that they weren't close enough for Haru to share the dark secrets of her nights. Or maybe the lamb knew, and she didn't comment on it. Or -- perhaps the most likely of all -- Haru didn't want to talk about it. She had a knack for pretending everything was sunshine and daisies.

One thing was for certain, however, and that was thay they were good friends so therefore he had to do this right. He needed to remember her name.

Panicking, Legosi crouched down to get on her eye level. Her eyes were so big as he stared into them that he could see a tiny silhoutte of himself.

"Sebum!" Legosi greeted, doing his best to give a friendly and none-threatening smile, which was borderline impossible for a carnivore. "How's it going?"

A displeased look appeared on her face and the corner of her lip twitched, annoyance evident on her face as she stared flatly at him.

"It's Se-bun," the lamb replied, annoyed. "Sebun."

_Strike two,_ Legosi thought, feeling stupid beyond belief as he nervously scratched the back of his head. _First she see's you're outburst and now this._

She looked like she had fought the urge to roll her eyes as she sidestepped Legosi, getting closer to the buffalo."I light in my kitchen went out again, Stabu. Do you mind changing it for me?"

"I can do it!" Legosi blurted, twisting himself around to meet her face again. He swallowed, nervous.

She didn't even hesitate with her answer. "No thanks."

"It's the least I can do after messing up your name."

"No thanks."

"Let the wolf do it," the buffalo threw in casually. "It'll get him off my back."

Legosi's ear twitched. _Stay calm._

He looked at the lamb, her ears drooping. She grabbed onto her purse as her tiny nose flared, a displeased look on her face. "You better be fast" was all she said as she walked out, her feet quick as they shuffled along, her heels clacking. She had fire to her for a small herbivore, Legosi noted, somewhat impressed as he followed her with surprised eyes.

Legosi heard the buffalo flare his nose, silently telling him to _get the fuck out._ He stood, sighing on his way up. He took a step towards the buffalo, the small distance between them electric once more with their unresolved fight.

"Just give it some thought," Legosi said, his voice tight. "That's all I'm asking." And then he left to go chase after Sebun.

He was up the stairs and next to Sebun before she had made it to the door of her apartment. Keeping his steps small and slow, he looked down at the lamb, scanning her. She seemed anxious; her tail between her legs and her ears half-way to being flat against her skull. It was like she was fighting to keep them up.

She opened the door to her apartment, the awkward silence still stretching between them. He didn't know what to say.

_Sorry you saw me snap the the guard?_ Or how about: _sorry I growled, scared you, and then called you fucking __Se-bum__. _Legosi stared up at the ceiling with an irrtated look in his eyes, recalling the memory with a heaping side of embarrassment and regret.

"I'll get the lightbulb from my closet," Sebun said, pulling him out of his self-hating hole in his mind. "Stay here."

Legosi did as told, waiting awkwardly in the kitchen designed for a small animal. He stared down at the counter tops, which barely came up to his knees. There was a coffee cup in the sink, and he wondered how many sips it would take to finish a drink from it. One? Two? Three or four if he really nursed it.

Sebun came back into the kitchen, an uneasy look in her eyes as she stared up him.

"Here," she said, handing him a box with a lightbulb in it.

He grabbed it from her hand carefully and noticed it was sealed with tape, so he swiped a singular claw acrossed it, cutting it open. Sebun shivered visibly, but he made no comment about it, pretending like he didn't notice.

"Why do you want to change apartments?"

Legosi paused his movements, the bulb half-way out of the box. He was surprised by her forwardness.

So she had heard after all. He was surprise he hadn't picked up her scent earlier. The anger the buffalo had ignited in him had numbed his senses, or he had subconsciously chosen to ignore her scent because he had been so caught on not trying to strangle the stubborn animal. His ears twitched, recalling the situation with annoyance. _Fucking buffalo._

His eyes drifted to the lamb who was shuffling through her fridge. She pulled out a can of beer, opened it, and started drinking like there was no tomorrow.

Legosi sighed, turning his attention back to the task at hand. He started to unscrew the bulb in the ceiling, slowly turning it.

"So you heard that, huh?" Legosi said, giving the bulb one final twist before it came out.

"You were practically yelling."

His ears perked up. "Really?"

"Well, sorta. Not really, actually. You seemed quite desperate though."

He was.

"I think Haru would feel better. She doesn't seem to like me much."

The lamb snorted, surprised with his answer. "Really?"

"Yeah." He screwed the new bulb in, twisting it until it locked in place.

Silence stretched between them as Legosi put the old bulb back in the box, scratching an 'X' on the top for future reference.

The lamb leaned against the counter of her kitchen, sipping on her can of beer as she continued to stare up at him.

"It's not common for a carnivore to be so considerate towards their fellow herbivores."

Legosi crouched to her height, sighing with exhaustion. There was a thick fog floating in his mind, slowing his thought process way down. He wasn't sure how much longer he could go without good sleep.

"Haru," he began, trying to find the best way to explain without giving away too many details, ". . .she tends to move around a lot at night. It keeps me up."

"There it is," Sebun said, swishing the beer can around. "I didn't think you were doing it out of consideration for Haru."

His eyes locked with the lamb, her rude comment upsetting him. "That's just part of it."

Sebun shrugged. "Don't get mad. It's in your nature to consider yourself before others. It's a carnivore thing."

"That's not true," Legosi retorted, annoyed with the little lamb. It felt like the whole world was out to grind his gears lately. "Canines are known to be pack animals. They always consider their members."

"So where is your pack?"

Legosi huffed, his eyes darting to the floor. He was regretting ever offering the lamb help. "We went our seperate ways."

Jack, his ex-friend, along with his other friends had chosen a good education and a proper lifestyle. While he had chosen, well, other things. Stupid things. Things that led him to dealing with an insufferable buffalo and a impetuous lamb.

"The buffalo won't give you another apartment," Sebun stated, like it was obvious. "You can ask the animal who's actually in charge of the property."

Legosi perked up, his head twisting to stare at the lamb with hopeful eyes.

"But he's also a buffalo. And he's more stubborn than Stabu."

Of course, Legosi thought, his shoulders falling with defeat. There was no winning this fight.

"Besides, Haru doesn't dislike you." Sebun tilted the can back, finishing her beer before continuing: "She's just been through a lot. She's stressed."

Legosi swallowed, unsure of what to say.

"Let's just say she's been through some pretty terrible things." She didn't have to actually say anything in detail, it all came out in the venom behind her words and the icy stare she was giving him. "You may not understand -- and you probably never will -- but maybe you can have a little sympathy for her."

Legosi gripped onto his knees, uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. He felt like a small child who was getting lectured because he didn't know how to play nice with the other kids. And truth was, he had never actually been good at playing nice with the other kids.

"Then it makes sense that she wouldn't want a carnivore living next to her," Legosi replied, cutting through the metaphorical crap. He stood, done with the pain in his ankles from crouching so long.

Sebun raised an eyebrow at him. "What makes you think the next animal who moves in won't be a carnivore, too?"

That stumped Legosi. She had a valid point -- another carnivore could move in after him. There was nothing that would stop that. And he doubted that whoever moved in after would tolerate the nuisance Haru caused every night. The more he thought about all the outcomes of what would happen if another carnivore moved in after him, the more his anxiety grew. Different scenerios of big carnivores roughly banging on Haru's door, angry and ready to lash out of her, formed in his head. She would have to deal with all of it. Alone. He pictured how she would look, half-hidden behind her door, eyes big and full of fear as she stared up at the angry carnivore who knew nothing of her traumas. The mere thought made him almost nauseas with anger.

But then he realized something -- the lamb had been right afterall; he had been only thinking about himself. All the anger defleated, leaving him with yet another sickening lump of guilt.

Legosi's pocket buzzed loudly, making the lamb and him both jump with surprise. He pulled out his phone, looking at the new text with bags under his eyes.

**Leopard. Male. 29. 675 Bridge Drive, 45732.**

**Black Leopard. Male. 25. 675 Bridge Drive, 45732.**

**$2,000.**

The lamb met his eyes and he eyed her cooly for a second before slowly closing them shut -- a carnivore's way of saying they mean no harm. He hated to admit it, but he actually liked the little lamb.

He opened his eyes and gave her a small smirk. "I guess I won't be moving any time soon, huh?" He shoved his hands in his pockets and began walking out. "I'll see you around, Sebun."

She gave him a small wave as she opened a new beer, eyeing him suspiciously as he existed her small apartment.

* * *

Legosi dragged his feet across the grass as he detoured through the park, wasting time before he went on his hunt. He watched as a pack of canines played down by the fountain, taking turns throwing and chasing a ball. One of them was a little golden retriever, and the sight of the little guy made the strings in Legosi's heart pull. He cleared his throat, pulling his eyes away from the laughing puppy and continuing his gloomy walk.

He missed Jack. A lot. More than he cared to admit and more than he ever thought he would.

Legosi swallowed, a lump in his throat as he remember their fight. It had all started when Jack had discovered Legosi's change in diet.

_"Were friends with them!" Jack snapped, throwing his hands in the air with disbelief. "Remember? What do you tell yourself -- when your biting down on your _'meal' _\-- when see them? When you see Els? Tem? Or Pina? How about Lya? Oh! Let's not forget--"_

_"You don't get it," Legosi snarled, roughly grabbing Jack by the collar of his shirt and shaking him."Your not a real carnivore, Jack. You're a fucking dog. That's why you don't get it. Why you never will."_

Every single day after that day was misery. It was like the colour in his life had been ripped out, everything turning into a muddy gray of self-loathing and loneliness. Not a day went by where he wished he could take it all back.

And along with Jack, all his other dog friends started fading from the picture one by one until he was all alone. And his herbviores friends stuck around much less. All he had as company were his mistakes. He dropped out of school soon after that. What was the point?

The past several years had been some of the hardest years of his life, and he couldn't see it getting any better. He had no family. No friends. Nothing.

All he had was Louis and the deer hated him more than he hated himself. He was just a henchman. A dog on a leash following his owner's calls.

And then there was the incident with Haru. And because life loved to torture him, it had placed him right next to her, so he could live with the highest potential of guilt.

Legosi closed his eyes, animosity at himself twisting his heart into a tight knot. He gripped onto his chest, the pain so strong he closed his eyes. He didn't know how much longer he could bare all this misery.

A sigh slipped through his teeth as he opened his eyes and unclenched his shirt. He looked up at the sky, noticing the change in colours; a baby blue was starting to appear as the night time neared.

* * *

"You've been a hungry wolf lately," the tigress said, placing the plate in front of him. A link of pork sausages (cooked), a small chicken (mostly cooked), and two large steaks (mostly raw). Legosi stared at her, a worried look in her eyes. It wasn't a good sign for a carnivore to start eating a lot of meat.

But what did it matter at this point? He was already miserable and alone, so was it so bad he wanted to eat his feelings away?

Legosi smiled, showing all his teeth this time. "I started running," he half-lied. "Makes me ravenous."

The tigress smiled, and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "Just watch yourself, ok?" And with that, she walked away, leaving him in peace with his meal.

Legosi stared down at his plate, his stomach howling with hunger. He started with his least-favourite favourite, the sausages, and worked his way to his favorite, the steaks.

For just a few minutes, all the anger and pain went away. All that mattered were the delicious smells and the comforting taste of his meal as it went down his throat, into the pit where the beast lived. He closed his eyes, enjoying his few minutes of peace and harmony with himself. There was no hate. No bad memories. No nothing. Just pure joy.

And far too quick, the meal came to an end. He stared down at his plate, the watery blood from the steak the only thing left behind.

Legosi sighed as he leaned back into his chair to look at his phone. There was still time to spare.

A wicked look appeared in his eyes as he whistled the tigress down.

* * *

When the sun was well set and the moon was high in the sky, Legosi began his hunt through the dingy streets.

The hairs on his body stood on their ends, the atmosphere sitting poorly with his instincts. He could sense the danger in the air. It was electric.

Legosi checked his phone, making sure he had the right address. It was a large and battered-down shithole of a place. One of the windows on the second floor was cracked. The two were sealed with cardboard. The color of the paint was faded, strips peeling off it's walls. The roof was covered in mold and some of the tiles had come loose, leaving open holes for bugs to crawl through.

Legosi took a few deep breaths before circling the area, his feet silent on the grass. He checked the neighbours, making sure that their lights were off. Not that it mattered. When something went down in these sides of town, no one batted an eye. It was normal.

Even in the distance Legosi could hear a fight going on, the sound of fist punching flesh exciting the blood in his veins. He could see his eyes turning red in the reflection of the window he was trying to open. With a good push, the window eventually gave and he slid it up.

The house was a mess. Shattered plates and broken furniture all over. Clothes was scattered and shredded in messy piles around the living room. The couch and the walls were covered in scratches.

_Typical feline_, Legosi sneered in his head. _Always gotta ruin things with their claws._

His head tilted up as the floor boards above him creaked.

They most likely knew he was already here. Or maybe not. Feline noses were not as good as the canines. Especially a wolf's nose.

He sniffed, the pungent smell of rotten flesh and dried blood was thick in the air. It made him nauseous and excited all at once.

He heard footsteps in the distance. Someone was running down the stairs. Legosi flexed his claws, his lips pulled back, exposing a very sharp row of teeth. His blood was pumping, the fight or flight mode activated. The leopard was close, just around the corner.

Legosi jumped on the big cat, catching him off guard. But leopards were slippery fuckers, so he dodged Legosi's punch and kicked him right in the gut, sending him flying back into a table which had a clunky old T.V on it.

Pain should have erupted at his hard landing but the thrill of the fight was exhilarating. He pushed himself up, a malicious look on his face as he eyed the angry leopard.

"Where's your friend?" Legosi taunted, taking a fighting stance. His heart was pounding, hot blood racing through his arteries, full of adrenaline and anger. It felt so good. Finally, the chance to get all the pent up turmoil of emotions out.

The leopard just snarled, bearing his teeth at him like a savage animal.

Legosi laughed. "Cat got your tongue?" And then he launched at him.

They bit and scratched, kicked and punched, until they were both a bloody mess. But Legosi was winning; he held the lopard down by his neck, a wicked look on his face as he looked down at the barely-breathing leopard. It was like he was made for this -- for the carnage and violence.

The counting began.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._ Broken Jaw. _Six. Seven. Eight._ Broken teeth. _Nine. Ten._ _Eleven. Twelve. Fuck it felt good!_

And the counting continued until he was satisfied. His hand covered in blood and his heart rattling in his chest, a satisfied smile on his face as he panted from all the exertion. He grabbed the leopard and picked him up, shaking him by the collar of his shirt. No response. He could hear the leopard breathing so he knew he was still alive. Barely. But alive.

Legosi tossed him back on the ground and pulled out his phone, smearing blood all over it as he texted Louis.

**Got one.**

He spent the next few minutes tying the leopard up like a pig ready to roast while he waited on Louis.

Eventually the red deer pulled up, the sound of his car familiar to his wolf ears.

Louis stepped in and didn't say anything as he scanned the house. Just his usual unimpressed look, like he had seen this a thousand times. The mess. The gore. The shithole homes. The filthy carnivores.

"Here," Louis said, waving the envelope in front of him. "Just a $1,000 sense there was only one."

Legosi swiped it out of his hand and counted the bills, sorting through them with his claws. It was short $100 dollars.

"It's short."

"Really? I'll put it in with the next payment then."

Legosi stood, snarling. "Cut the shit, Louis. I need the money."

Louis was unaffected by the wolf's outburst. Composed, he cooly stared back at Legosi. "So you can keep getting yourself some hearty meals at the Back Alley Market?" He walked over to the leopard, kicking it with his foot.

The beast inside Legosi rattled it's cage in indignation. "It doesn't matter what I do with the money. I did the job so I should get paid."

"You're getting paid."

"The proper amount!"

"You know," Louis said, crouching down to pull the leopard's lips back to look at it's teeth. Still, unaffected. Nothing. The guy had only two emotions; anger and disgust. "I have a theory about the little rabbit."

Legosi's blood turned cold, his tail dropping down to the floor.

"Seems like she walked around the south end of the centre, where the Union station is. You know what's around there, just a few blocks down?"

"The Back Alley Market."

"Yes," Louis agreed. "You know what else is around that area, down by the water?"

Legosi knew the answer but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"The cemetery. The same cemetery your mom and your grandpa were buried at."

Legosi started too feel light headed, like he was breathing in through a straw and he couldn't get enough oxygen in his lungs.

Louis stood and walked over to him, hands behind his back. Legosi's ears went flat against his head as he stood a couple of feet away from him.

"The same day Haru was attacked was the same day you grandfather had passed away."

_Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!_

"This is just a theory though," Louis said, grabbing his chin. "But maybe you were wondering the streets late that night, after visiting you grandpa, making your way to the Back Alley Market to fill that hole in your heart. And on your way there -- your thoughts all in a turmoil -- you couldn't control yourself when you smelled that sweet little rabbit?"

"It wasn't me!" Legosi yelled, his eyes wide and his hands shaking.

"It's just a theory," Louis said, raising his hands in innocence. "You wouldn't actually attack an innocent herbivore, would you?"

"No." _But I did._

"Good, good." Louis walked over to the door, staring out at the front lawn. "Just making sure my dogs still on a leash. Can't have you going around and attacking innocent herbivore's now. That would be hypocritical of us, now wouldn't it? "

Legosi was sweating as his mind raised. _You don't have proof; I got rid of it! There's nothing for you to prove against me. Nothing._

"It wasn't me." Legosi said, as if that was proof enough. "I was at the Back Alley Market."

"Eating rabbits." Louis's ears twitched. "Odd, don't you think?"

"No. They're popular amongst the carnivores." It was true. Rabbits were a favourite in the Back Alley Market.

"You say that," Louis said, turning to face him. "But you haven't gone back since."

"There's a rabbit living next to me. It would be stupid to temp myself." It was a partially true statement. You didn't eat the animals you were closest too.

"Poor thing. I can't imagine the nightmares she must have knowing there's a large wolf living next to her." Louis looked down at his fingernails, a sharp look in his eyes.

_How does he know it's Haru who's living next to me?_

"I dropped her off the night she got attacked," Louis answered, as if reading the question in Legosi's eyes. "I should drop by soon. Check in on her."

Legosi fought against the urge to grab Louis by his antlers and slam him repeatedly against the wall until he broke his delicate bone structure.

But he didn't. He just played the fantasy in his head over and over and over again.

"I'll give you the rest of the money when you catch the other leopard. You have a good nose; I'm sure you can track him down." Louis locked eyes with him. "Better than a dog's nose, that's for sure."

Louis turned around and walked towards the door, pausing at the threshold. He looked over his shoulder and his eyes were as cold as the night. "I'm watching you, Legosi."

* * *

Legosi walked home, his hand on his stomach the entire way. The damn leopard had gotten a good swipe at him with claws but Legosi wasn't so sure if that was what was really stirring the meal inside his stomach.

It was all the anxiety and stress he was living with. It was constant. All day and all night. And it was taking a toll on his body.

He walked up the stairs to his apartment, his eyes naturally dragging themselves to Haru's window. The lights were off.

He sighed, relieved that for once he was catching a break. The last thing he need was to see the look he would get if she saw him all battered and covered in blood.

He quietly walked across the deck, keeping close to the wall in hopes the boards would creak less. They didn't.

He reached into his pocket with one hand, his other still clenching his stomach tightly. Where was his key?

Legosi ears squished against his head as the lights in Haru's window turned on. Panicking, he searched his other pockets. Nothing.

_Where the fuck is it?!_

Just as he was about to turn around and make a run for it, Haru opened the door to her apartment.

Legosi felt the blood drain from his face as Haru's brown eyes met his red ones.

She paled, three shades lighter if that was possible. She was a snow white as they came.

Legosi's tongue had stitched itself to his teeth, useless. His eyes dropped down to her shaking hand. There it was:

The keys to room #504.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Happy New Years ya'll :)

* * *


	7. Internal Wounds

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

_Internal Wounds_

* * *

The silence was deafening. It was screaming in Legosi's ears; a ringing so loud he was certain it was going to blow out his eardrums like a bomb had gone off in them and splatter his brains across the deck.

Haru pulled her tiny little hands into her chest, his keys rattling softly. She closed the door some more, the only thing visible was just her fear-filled eye peaking at him through a small crack.

He didn't know what to say, so he just stood there, dumbstruck like a complete idiot. Words gone with the wind, along with his mental status.

* * *

Haru looked at Legosi, the flickering florescent lights above him making the sight of him all that much terrifying. He was covered in blood; it was on his face, his shirt, his hands and feet. It was all over him. It was like someone had dipped a giant brush into a bucket of blood and splattered him from head to toe with it.

There was also scratches and purple bruises decorating his face, neck (was that a bite mark?), and knuckles. Big and dark bruises, from faint green to deep purples that almost looked black.

But the worse of it all were his _eyes_.

They were red around the edges, like something evil was leaking around the them, surfacing.

She remembered seeing the news at Sebun's apartment as they shared breakfast together, how the young female deer reporter informed everyone what a deranged and blood thirsty carnivore looked like. And how if you spotted one, you were suppose to run as far as possible, and then call the police. If you lived, that is. All this rushed into her mind, setting off all sorts of alarms and red flags as she stared at Legosi's eyes. She swallowed, her mouth dry.

Earlier in the day, when she had left to go get groceries she had found Legosi's apartment keys on the floor near the stairs.

It was odd, she thought; when she had first met the wolf, he seemed put together, organised and calm, but as the days turned to weeks, Legosi seemed to be going down hill. His eyes were always swollen, and she swore he could hear him shuffling in his apartment in the late hours of the night.

Just like her.

From the beginning she had felt she shared an uncanny amount of similarities with the large carnivore, but she never dwelled on the thought for too long.

Haru watched the wolf's throat bounce as he swallowed, his eyes as big as the moon as they stared intensely into her own.

Haru mimicked him, swallowing the giant cotton balls that were in her mouth. Whispering with a tight voice, she asked, "Were you attacked?"

For a moment he didn't say anything. He just stood there, silent as a dead mouse.

But then he gave a slow, singular nod. His eyes were softening, the edges but a soft pink now rather than a vibrant red.

A form of relief washed through her body, as twisted as that sounded. It wasn't that she was glad he had been attacked. No, she was just glad that he hadn't attacked someone.

But the carnivore-like wounds on his body were a dead give away that he hadn't wrestled with a herbivore. Especially from the wound on his neck; and ugly bite mark that oozed dark blood, coating his silver fur as it trickled down his neck.

"Stay there," Haru said, running to her bathroom. She still had bandages, ointment, and pain killers from when she had been tending to her own wounds. After she collected all the materials in a garbage bag, she ran into her room and grabbed the card Louis had given her weeks ago.

The bag rustled as she headed back to the door. As quietly as possible she slipped onto the deck and walked over to Legosi's door, sticking the key into it's hole. Her hands were shaking, causing a loud rattling.

_Compose yourself_, she told herself as she unlocked the door, pushing it so it swung open.

Legosi's apartment was dark and dingy, and it smelled like wet dog and moldy food. She fought the urge to cover her nose, knowing it would be a rude thing to do in front of him.

She reached for the light by the entrance, standing on the very tip of her toes to flick the switch. Once she could properly see, she walked towards the centre of the room, making no comment as she stepped over a pile of dirty dishes and maneuvered around lumps of smelly laundry.

Legosi's apartment was an incredibly depressing sight, she concluded.

"I have some things for your wounds," she said, her voice a mixture of determination and fear.

"Haru," Legosi said, his voice surprisingly gentle.

She pulled out the bandages from her bag and turned to face him. He was still standing at the entrance of his apartment. He hadn't moved an inch.

"Do you have a bowl and a cloth I could borrow?"

He shook his head.

"I'll get one from my place then." She walked towards the entrance, but Legosi stuck his hand out, blocking her path. An intrusive shiver went up her spine as he looked at his bloody claws.

"No, that's not what I meant." He lowered his hand, pressing it against his stomach, claws hidden under his palm. "You don't have to do this. Just go home. I'll be fine."

She sighed, looking up at the battered wolf. "I -- I know what you're going through," she began, her ears falling flat against her head. Her eyes met the ground, unable to make eye contact as words formed in her mouth. "It's not good for you to be alone. Not after what happened to you."

Legosi didn't respond so she looked up at him. His eyebrows were high, a mixture of surprise and worry swimming in his eyes.

"I'll be right back," she said, stepping beside him.

She was quick, grabbing her largest metal cooking bowl and a few clean kitchen cloths. When she left her apartment to go back to Legosi's, she found him still in the same spot.

_He's in shock_, she concluded.

Gently she grabbed onto his shirt but instantly let it go when he flinched away from her touch, shock on his face.

"This way," she cooed, grabbing his shirt once again. She gently tugged him inside and then used her foot to push the door shut.

"Sit on the floor. I'm going to get water." He did as he was told, his face blank. He looked like he thought none of this was real. Like he was in a dream and he would wake up any second.

Haru knew that feeling all too well as she pushed an unpacked box against the kitchen counter so she could reach the sink. She filled the bowl with warm water and then walked back to Legosi.

"I'm going to remove your shirt," she said, placing the bowl of water next to him. "I need to clean your wounds."

Legosi shook his head at her. "Haru, stop. Just go home."

For a moment she thought about it as she stared into his eyes, which were now white. Legosi no longer looked like the frightening carnivore that she'd seen ealier.

Now, under the yellow light of his living room, he looked like someone who had been dragged through Hell. He looked scared, stressed, and anxious. It was like he was a second away from coming undone right then and there.

"Just let me help with the wounds and I'll leave you alone," she negotiated.

"I'll be fine."

"I know," she replied, even though she didn't believe him one bit.

Haru watched as he closed his eyes, his breathing coming in with deep inhales and exiting in long exhales. And then he opened his eyes and he stared blankly in front of him.

"Why are you doing this if you're scared of me?"

Her ears twitched. She hadn't seen this coming.

He stared at her from the corner of his eyes, quietly waiting for her answer.

The silence dragged on until she couldn't bare it anymore but she was also grateful that the wolf was patient with her, not once interrupting her as she organized the thoughts in her head. She lowered her eyes, staring at her bony fist on her knees.

"A few weeks ago," she began, the words coming out slow and tortures. It was almost physically painful to talk about the event. "I got attacked by a carnivore." She swallowed. "It was the most horrifying thing of my life." Her eyes grew hot from the emotional war inside her.

She reached for the cloth and dipped it into the warm water, then wrung out the excess water from it, the sound of water dripping filling up the silence in the room comfortably.

"So when I'm alone at night, all of the pain and memories start to take over my mind." She grabbed his hand gently, and with care began cleaning it with soft strokes. "Because I have no option but to sit there and relive the event over and over and over in my head until I feel like I'm going to lose my mind."

She dipped the bloody cloth in the water, watching as the water turned a dark pink. She began cleaning his hand again, moving the cloth up his lower forearm this time.

"So when I saw you -- all covered in blood and wounds from another carnivore -- something in me clicked." She dipped the cloth again, repeating the cycle. Rinse. Wring. Scrub.

She cleaned the upper part of his forearm, mindful of the deep scratch wounds that wrapped around his elbow like a red ribbons.

Her heart ached at the sight. Her wound seemed like a simple mosquito bite when compared to his.

She bit down on her lips as she rustled through the plastic bag, grabbing the ointment for the wounds.

"So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I -- I want to help you, because I know how scary it can get at night or even in the day. You didn't deserve what happened to you and you don't have to suffer alone."

She squeezed the ointment onto her finger tips, but didn't apply it. She decided to seek permission in his eyes before applying it, so she looked up at his face.

Haru's eyes doubled in size as she met eyes with the wolf.

He was crying. Silently. Tears brimming over the edges of his eyes and falling down his cheeks, dripping off his jawline and onto his lap.

"I'm so sorry!" Haru blurted outloud, her hand flying to her chest. "I didn't mean to upset you!"

* * *

He hadn't even notice the tears were pouring out if his eyes until Haru's reaction clued him in. Quickly, he wiped them away with his dirty palms, but no matter how much he wiped, they kept coming in buckets.

This wasn't a normal cry. No, he rememebered those from when he was a kid. He remembered the pain and anguish he had felt. Or how the grief of his grandfather's passing had torn out his heart, and all he had done was cry for days (weeks?), alone in his room. The tears stopped over time, but the pain never left. It was like some part of him had died along with his grandfather and it would never revive. And he still felt that way. Every day. He was certain that that was never going to change.

But this (whatever this was that was happening to him now) was new. It was like he wasnt in control of his body anymore. He stared down at his shaking hands, watching as a few tears dripped off his snout and onto his lap. He couldn't make them stop.

He swallowed, his mouth dry from all the panting he was doing. Every time he tried to steady his breathing, it made things worse. His hands began to go numb and the edges around his eyes began to turn black. What was happening?

He felt something warm grab his hands, and he looked down, finding Haru looking at him with large eyes.

He could see her mouth moving but everything was muffled, like he was under water. What was she saying?

And then she began breathing loudly, exaggerating her movements, and began taking large breaths in and letting them out slow. She squeezed his fingers, and continued to breathe, her eyes looking deeply into his.

He started mimicking her, breathing in when she did and exhaling when she did. Slowly, his senses started coming back to him.

"Just keep breathing," she said, rubbing one of his forearms gently.

So he did. He would pretty much do anything she told him to do, he realized. Anything.

"Lift your arms." He did.

"Turn this way." He did.

"This will hurt." It didn't.

He was sure whatever physical wound he had now could not compare to the pain Haru's story had caused him. It was like her words had been blazing hot knives that travelled out of her mouth and into his own, slashing him as they went through his body, and eventually (and finally!) jabbed themselves into his heart violently. And they kept coming. One knife. Two knife. Three. He lost count at how many knives were skewered into his heart.

No physical wound was ever going to compare to that. Nothing. He was certain. This had been by far the most painful thing he had experienced in the entirety of his miserable life. Not even Jack walking away could compare to the excruciating pain he felt in his heart right now.

"Haru," he rasped, his throat made of sand paper.

"Mmm?" She hummed as she applied ointment to a wound on his arm. He wondered for a brief moment what she thought of all the scars and tattoos that riddled his body. Did they make her nervous? Uncomfortable? He hoped that they didn't.

He knew he was too shameless and selfish to ever be able to give her the truth of who had attacked her that night. Out of all the wolves on the planet, he was by far the least noble.

So he selfishly kept his honesty to himself and relished the softeness of her little hands as they cleaned the wounds on his body.

Despicable.

Sebun had been right -- carnivores did only think for themselves. Especially him.

He didn't even know what to say. He just knew he couldn't stand the silence anymore, because all he could hear was Sebun's taunting words playing in his head like a broken CD player. _Selfish. Selfish. Selfish._ It made his stomach churn.

He cleared his throat. "Is there anything I can do?"

He heard water move around. "No." She picked up the bowl and walked over to the kitchen sink, dumping the red water slowly down the drain. "I'm going to clean the wound on your neck next."

"No," he said, and she looked at him over her shoulder as she filled the bowl with fresh water. "For you -- is there anything I can do for you?"

"Oh." Her little ears flapped, rotating as she walked back to him. She sat closer to him this time and he noticed how the sleeves of her yellow pajamas were dirty with blood. He made a mental note to buy her a new pair of pajamas; it was the least he could do.

She rolled her sleeves up to her elbows, and he noticed the scars on her arm.

Without even thinking, he grabbed her wrist, trapping her tiny arm in his hand.

She froze, her eyes going to his hand.

He noticed how thin she felt, like the bones under her flesh were little toothpicks. If he sneezed, he was sure he would shatter her arm by accident.

The pulse in her wrist picked up as he held her so he loosened his grip, holding her as gently as he could. With gentle strokes he ran his thumb over the scars he had caused. He despised the sight.

"That's from when I was attacked," she whispered, her eyes glazed with sadness. Then she laughed, but it sounded fake to his ears. "I didn't actually burn myself. I lied, sorry." She gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

_I know_, he wanted to say, but he didn't. So instead he said something stupid. "You've lost weight."

She flushed, her cheeks turning red from his accusation. "I -- do you --" but she couldn't find the words.

"Is it because of what happened?"

She chewed her lower lip, her eyes darting to the ground as she nodded with shame.

At first, it didn't make sense. He supposed it was stress but the piece didn't quite seem to fit the puzzle. Perhaps it was anxiety? But that didn't seem quite right either. After watching her for so long he knew her anxiety expressed itself in forms of activities, things that would keep her busy and her mind out of the dark pit of memories.

This was something else.

His eyes scanned her once more, taking in the thin curve of her neck and how her collar bones popped out in an unflattering way. Her cheeks sunk into her face, giving her a sickly look, like someone who was dying from the inside out.

_She would make a poor meal_, his mind darkly thought and he swallowed, the thought of food forming in his head. He grabbed onto his stomach, afraid it would growl around Haru. That was the last thing he needed.

But now it made sense, he realized; this self-destruction of hers was like a self-defence mechanism she had formed from her trauma. A trickle of self-hatred went down his spine, twisting his chest full of anger and disgust with himself. _I did this. This is my fault. _And he had to fix it. He _had_ to.

"Carnivores," Legosi began, forming a lie (probably the only decent one so far) as he squeezed her arm gently, almost using no strength at all in fear he would hurt her. "Carnivores don't care if you're thin or not, Haru. They'll eat anything."

Haru paled, her eyes full of turmoil as they darted around in their sockets. Maybe she hadn't expected him to put two and two together or maybe she was scared.

Legosi leaned into her, his other hand next to her body as he stared down at her. He hated how big he felt when he was around her, like some type of freakish giant. "Don't torture yourself anymore, Haru. As long as I live next to you, no carnivore will ever hurt you." He leaned back, giving her the space she seemed to so desperately need.

His hand slid down her arm until he held her hand, his thumb gliding over the soft fur on the top of her hand. She was by far the softness animal he had ever held -- meal or not.

A part of him was torn. How dare he give her such a shallow promise when he was probably the most dangerous carvniore she could be around? Even now his mouth watered as he looked at her hand, his tongue tempted to lick across her palm to get a taste. He swallowed the saliva in his mouth.

A sniffling filled the air and his eyes went to her. She wiped her eyes with her free hand, a smile on her face as she looked up at him.

"I feel like this weight just got lifted off my heart." A laugh escaped her lips, and he watched her, fascinated with how it filled the whole room with warmth. "And to think I was so scared of you."

* * *

Once all his wounds were covered in ointment and bandaged, Haru stood, sighing as she wiped her forehead with the back of her arm.

She looked at him, laughing softly.

His head tilted at her, a curious look on his face.

"You look like a mummy," she pointed out.

He looked at himself and a small laugh broke out of him but then it came to a slow stop, his eyes serious as he looked at her.

"Thank you, Haru. I mean it."

She nodded, pleased. "No problem."

Silence danced between them and Haru could hear cars purring in the distance. She looked out the window, noting the first few signs of daylight starting to creep up in the distance.

Nervous, she shuffled her feet on the spot and her ears twitched as she looked at the wolf who seemed to be caught up on looking out the window. His eyes were puffy and slightly red, and a heavy pair of bags hung under them.

Her eyes continued to scan him, taking in how strong and powerful his jaw looked; how his neck was thick and muscular, unlike her own; the way his fur was dense and brittle, nothing like the typical herbivores she was so used to being around. A small blush rose to her cheeks -- and maybe it was the setting or what he had said to her earlier in the night -- but she couldn't help the sudden flutter her heart gave when she looked at him. It surprised her, her hand flying to her chest in disbelief.

"Are you ok?" Legosi asked, his head tilting towards her.

She met his eyes and noticed how they were gray, just like his fur. Something swam in them, pain and hardship, like he had seen his fair share of ugly things in the world.

But there was also something gentle under all of it, like even after all the pain and hardship life had thrown at him, there was a silver lining of a gentle giant.

"Haru?"

She internally slapped herself for not replying the first time. "Sorry," she apologized, nervously rubbing the back of her head. She lowered her arm, holding it with her other hand as she shifted her weight onto her other foot. "Would you," she began, the sentence pouring out like molasses, "would you like to come over for breakfast?"

His eyes double in size, his ears shooting up and pointing sharply at the sky like tiny little pyramids on top of his head. A blush made it's way into his cheeks and she couldn't help but smile when she noticed his tail wagging behind him. Was he aware of it?

Then a loud rumble broke the silence and her ears pointed up, surprised by how ferocious his stomach had roared.

Legosi paled, his hand going to his stomach to clench it and she winced internally as she watched him put pressure on his wounds. But he didn't seem to mind. Instead he was looking at her, like he was expecting some reaction from her.

One of her ears flopped to the side and she laughed. "I'll take that as a yes?"

The wolf sighed, looking relief with her answer. He closed his eyes, as if composing himself.

"I'll get started on it." Haru's mind raced with thoughts of the large feast she would have to make for such a big animal. Good thing she had gone grocerie shopping with Sebun just the night before. Her fridge was full and ready to pack a meal in the wolf's stomach.

"I'll leave the bandages, ointment, and painkillers here for you." She leaned over and picked up her bowl and bloodied kitchen cloths, which were going straight in the garbage can as soon as she got home.

The wolf nodded at her, a small smile on his face. "I'll get changed." Slowly, pain evident on his face, he stood from the ground.

It always surprised her how tall he was, consistently forgetting because he always seemed to talk to her at eye level, a polite habit of his that she was learning to cherish. He leaned over, his hands on his knees. "Just give me a minute."

He disappeared into his room, which she was sure was just as messy as the rest of his house, and came back with a pair of pajama pants and a black hoodie he was pushing his head through. His head popped through the hole, his ears bouncing up comically.

Again, her heart flutter and a small trickle of dread poured down her spine, realizing that she was developing feeling for the carnivore. She shook her head, shaking the ludicrous thoughts out of her mind. There was no way she could fall for the wolf. It wasn't possible.

It _shouldn't_ be possible.

* * *


End file.
